Heaven's New Prophecy
by Artemis1919
Summary: Candle is a special girl. She is the most recent incarnation of the Avatar. Now this hasn't happened for decades. In 2015 she is working on trying to master her new found powers. But she's not alone , she has her friends. Mara, Zach, Alex, Sapphire, and her boyfriends Gabe. Although this isn't one pretty happy story whee she can just go around master the elements and have a good
1. Chapter 1

So there's on thing I need to say the British government is scary, but that's not the only thing. We have to go all over the world to see if I can master the four elements. My name is Candle, and I live a pretty normal life. If you count being chased by benders, governments, finding long lost family, having a bowl of fire, and other things.

Though I can't say that we are always on the run. We meet friends all over the place. I can't really tell you much since this chapter would just become a huge spoiler and we know how that goes for some people.

All I can tell you is that me and my friends are going to go all over the world in search for answers, family, and a lost art. The reawakening of the Avatar has sparked a war between 6 kids and an army of benders. Sounds fair right? For us the reawakening of this darkness that we are supposed to just walk up to and say hey you have to stop and become dead again, is not really a good thing. You see this thing is sending benders after us, and then this part of the British government is coming after us at the same time to try and dissect us.

Crazy world right? Well almost..., I can't tell you anymore, cause spoilers. You get the picture, I just want you to follow me and my friends on this crazy adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

Candles POV.

It was a plain Friday and I was eating a piece of toast. I love toast. I really do. Anyway it was the first day of school. Oddly they put it on a Friday, I mean what's the point we'll just have our weekend tomorrow. Anyway this was going to be a good year, I have a bad record for being the trouble. Every time something happens I am always called up, even if I am on the whole other side of the school.

"Candle the bus is going to be here in 2 minutes," Mom called as I was eating my 5th piece of toast. I quickly swallowed and called back.

"OK Mom," I said following where her voice was said," Bye," I hugged her and headed out the door.

The bus came to a squeaking stop and I sat down next to Gabe.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he said back.

"I brought you a piece of toast,"

"Oh my gosh. How did not eat that on the way down?" He stared in amazement.

"It took all of my energy. And a couple punches from Conner. I told him if the toast got close to my mouth to punch me. Hard," I said rubbing my arm.

"Well thanks. Here is the book you wanted," he handed me the book Legend. I had wanted it it forever, ever since he had gotten it at the book fair and I couldn't afford it. He had offered to buy it for me but I said no. He needed it much more than me. Like me he also had an unfinishable book list. Plus I also had like 12 other series that I am reading, I can wait.

"Oh my gosh! Thanks," I said and hugged him. Oh I almost forgot. Gabe has sandy brown hair and emerald green eyes. He was my boyfriend.

We rode in the bus im silence, because we were slouched over reading. About 10 minutes before we got to school I snapped out of my reading trance. I looked up and heard the popular girls and boys talking about other people at school and how their teachers are mean or ugly. I just sighed and went back to my.

We pulled to a stop at the high school let off. The high schoolers got off and I put uo my book. I turned to Gabe.

"I forgot to ask. Who did you get for homeroom?" I asked him.

"I got ," he mumbled as he was still in his book.

"Sweet me to. And Gabe we're at school you might want to put away your book," I said and he put the book mark in his book.

"Well hope the first day of school is good," he held up his hand in a preying jester,"please let it be a good year," he said like me he had also had a bad record at being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

We got off the bus and the bell had already rang, so we walked into the doors by the gym. We flew through the first three periods and lunch came.

"I am so hungry. I only ate 5 pieces of toast. Which is odd because I usually don't eat breakfast," I said to Gabe, I forgot to mention. Gabe is my only friend, no else will be friends with me. Although at lunch you can sit with who ever you want. Plus I noticed some new people in our class and maybe they can be friends with me.

We walked to the lunch room and sat down at the table in the back. Like I thought no one was there. Then while waiting for us to be dismissed, we were always the last. You see the lunch ladies made friends with us so they save us some food. Anyway the 4 new kids came up to us.

"Hey is it cool if we sit with you. There's no where else where they'll let us in," a girl with brilliant blue hair and dark blue eyes said.

"Yeah it's cool," Gabe said as I moved my hands to the 4 open chairs and they sat down. Then before we could say anything coach came over and told us we could get some food now.

We walked in and went to our different lines. Today was pizza and bbq and I hate the schools pizza and I just hate bbq so I got a salad. As I was going into the line I noticed that that kid with messy black hair and wispy white eyes had gotten a salad too.

When I got back to the table and saw I was the last one at the table.

"So what are your names?" I asked.

"Well I'm Mara," said the girl with blue eyes and dark blue hair,"and that's Alex," she pointed at the kid with black messy hair and wispy white eyes.

"Hi," he said not looking up from his salad.

"He's a vegetarian," Mara added.

"So Alex why are your eyes white, I don't mean to hurt you I mean I have orange eyes, but are you blind?" I asked. He didn't reply right away.

"Alex is also really shy around people he doesn't know," Mara added again.

"I-I'm not blind, i-it's just the way I was born," he finally looked up and I saw that his eyes looked as white as the morning fog.

"Where did you come from," Gabe asked.

"I used to live i-in the country," he said more confident, was starting to warm up to us.

"Cool," I said.

"So Mara, did you dye your hair blue?" Gabe asked.

"No," she answered.

"Born with it?" I asked.

"Yeah,"

"So what's your name?" I asked to a girl who had burnt black hair and fiery orange eyes.

"I'm Sapphire," she said," I come from the city and Mara came from the suburbs."

"Cool," I said.

"So is there a reason your hair is green?" Sapphire asked.

"No, born with it I guess," I said.

"And the orange eyes?"

"Yeah," I said poking at my salad.

"So last but not least, you," Gabe said gesturing to the last boy.

"I'm Zach," he said,"I come from the country also."

"Awesome. So what connections are you taking? Me and Gabe are taking chorus and I'm taking Orchestra and he's taking health," I explained.

"Well I'm taking band and chorus according to this, I played the clarinet in my school back in England," she said and it was the first time I realized she had a British accent.

"Whoa you're from England, I have always wanted to go," Sapphire said.

"Yeah it's great living in the suburbs of England, although it's more country than a suburbs," she said looking at the sky," you see I used to live with my parents, they were good people, and then they died when a train crashed in Manhattan and they died. So I moved to my grandparents house, then I was sent here to live with my aunt until the end of the school year."

"I'm sorry," I finally said breaking the ice," I almost had the same problem as you,"

"Don't be it was almost 7 years ago and what do you mean almost?" Mara asked.

"Well I lost my Dad to cancer," I said," yeah mine was almost 9 years ago," i said looking up at the sky.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You don't need to be,"

"Well Zach how about you?" Gabe asked.

"Well back home on the farm I worked tending to my horse and chickens. I still have them here with me. My horse, named Sam, lives in the stables that we fixed up for her across the street," he explained," and my chickens are in my back yard, with the fences high so they can't run away and get killed by cars."

"Cool," Alex said.

"So Alex. How about you. What did you do in the country?" I asked.

"Well I had cow and some geese," he said trying to remember,"and 12 kittens, with their mother."

"Wow 12 kittens!" Mara exclaimed!

"Yeah took awhile to clean up after and feed, I still have them all," he said.

"Cool. Hey I'm going to throw away my salad," I said getting up.

"I'll come," Mara said and we walked over to the trash.

''''''''''''''''

All 6 of us sat next each other in social studies eating candy from our science class. You see the whole team's teachers gives out candy on Friday. I had got some Skittles, Mara had gotten 3 Musters, Alex had gotten some peanut-butter cups, Zach had gotten a nerd rope, Sapphire had gotten some red hots, and Gabe had gotten so some chocolate that we shared. I also share my Skittles with him.

Mrs. Cocker had started the class with the map quiz studying on the Middle East.

"OK who knows where Afghanistan is?" she asked and like on a given signal Ian, Mara, and I shoot out of our chairs. She calls on Ian. He spits out the correct answer and sits back down with a smirk on. You see Ian claims to be the smartest person in the class and he barely passed his exam and CRCT. While I got 100% on both. It annoyed me so much. I glared at him along with Mara. Although when he opens him water bottle it shoots water.

I didn't laugh I just smiled and focused on making it go on. Then I came out of the trance and saw that he was soaking wet.

'Whoa! Did I do that?' I wondered.

'I think,' I heard Mara's voice in my head.

'Whoa, whoa! Did you just speak to me?' I asked her.

'I think,'

'Hey can you guys shut up and am enjoying watching Ian have his surprised face. I so cheesy,' I heard Zach say.

'Zach you're in this to?' I asked.

'I guess,'

'I think I'm going mad. There are voices in my head,' I saw that Alex was shaking his head.

'Hey Alex it's cool man we are here,' Gabe budded in.

'Hey Gabe, how's life?'

'And therefore it's Social Studies,' he laughed.

'What do you mean,' Sapphire finally said.

'Well every Social Studies class Candle says 'how's life.' It's sorta a tradition,' Gabe explained.

'Cool,' Everyone said.

'Ah!' We all screamed inside our heads.

I looked down at my hand and saw a wave, a flame, a rock, wind, and a sword. I burned on my hand, and then the pain stopped and it just glowed like that for the rest of he period.

"OK that hurt. Did anyone else feel the pain?" Zach asked.

"I felt it and then I saw a flame," Sapphire said.

"I think we all did. So tell you what we will all meet at the entrance of school and walk home talking to each other about this. For now lets pretend it didn't happen. K?" I asked.

"Yeah," they all said and we went to Language Arts. That went by quickly, but only when end of the class did the mayhem start. You see Ian started to get on my nerves again in class. He yelling out and making fun of Mara, Zach, Sapphire, and Alex for being confused and messing things up. I glared at him for most of the time we had left. Then out of nowhere his shirt caught on fire. I looked over at Sapphire and her eyes were blazing with life. I remembered how mad I was at Ian and looked over to him. The fire grew bigger. Ian was screaming or for what it looked like, I couldn't hear him.

Then everything slowed down and I saw Mrs. Robinson pour here tea on him putting out the fire. Then everything went back to normal. Sapphire looked sick and I felt like I could pass out.

Finally Mrs. Robinson let us out early so I could get my stuff ready before the big mob came to go to connections. The bell rang and Mara, Gabe, Sapphire, and I bolted to Mr. Rice's room. Today was chorus and thank god no one in there aggravated me. Chorus went quick and soon we were on the sidewalk, walking to my house.

"So why are there glowing elements on our hand?" Zach asked, breaking the ice.

"Well I have all of them, plus a sword," I looked at my hands, they were split between the two

"Well I have a sword," Gabe said holding up his hand and I looked at it. It glowed a copper color.

"He's right," I said," I can't get it off. I even spit on it."

"You spit on me!" he looked at me in horror.

"I was kidding," I laughed and he punched me, I punched him back even harder.

"Remind me why I am dating you," he said.

"Cause I don't spit on?" I tried.

"Eh.. I guess that's a ligament reason," he shrugged.

"OK... so I have a wave in a circle on my hand," Mara said, I came over and it matched with mine.

"I have the same one!" I exclaimed.

"So how come the water bottle exploded in front of Ian?" Alex asked,"Oh and I have three swirls on my hand," he held it up.

"It sorta looks like wind," Zach said.

"Or air?" Sapphire added.

"Maybe," Alex said and I just looked at it.

"Well I have a square swirl thing. I mean I can't really describe it," I walked over and looked at his and he was right, it was hard to describe.

"OK, I have what looks like fire flying up," Sapphire said holding it up and it glowed orange.

"Pretty," I said.

"Looks like your eyes," Zach added.

"Your right and now I have a question for you, Candle. Why do you have all of them?" she asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged as I opened the door and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Mom, these are my new friends," waved to her and picked up a sandwich,"there's Mara, Alex, Zach, and Sapphire."

"Hello, please take sandwiches if you would like. I have to go make some calls. I be right back," Mom said and walked out of the room.

"K, then," I said and everyone was standing there except Gabe who was sitting next to me,"yah know you can have some sandwiches and sit down."

Everyone got a sandwich and sat down.

"Now how come Ian was on fire?" Zach asked.

"Hold on there's a office up stairs. I don't want Mom to hear this just yet," I said getting up and walking to the stairs, everyone behind me. We all walked inside and I closed the door.

"Now I don't know how Ian was on fire, all I remember was him taunting you guys and them everything else is fuzzy," I looked through my memory.

"Well I can tell you that you and Sapphire looked like you could explode. Both of your eyes dance with fire. Then Ian was on fire," Gabe explained.

"Wait I remember. I looked over at Sapphire and saw how mad she was. Then I remembered how mad I was and everything slowed down and Ian caught on fire. I watched in slow motion as Mrs. Robinson poured her tea on him," I robbed my head.

"So how can Ian get on fire in your just looking at him?" Alex asked.

"I don't kno-," I was cut off by a knock. I walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hi sweetie, could you and yours friends come down stairs?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" but she was already going down the stairs. I went back inside and told everyone that we had to come downstairs for some reason I couldn't explain.

We headed down stairs and when I got down I saw, what I think was the parents of everyone. The only set of people I knew was Mom and Gabe's parents.

"Mom! Dad!" was what everyone said except for Zach.

"Hey Mom, am I in trouble?" Zach asked.

"No sweetie, we came because of Candle's mother called and we have something to tell you," she explained.

"Why did you call them?" I asked.

"Well like she said we have things to talk about," Mom said.

"Like what?"

"Well when you guys came home I saw the marks on your hands," we all looked at our hands,"and then I knew it was time to tell you the truth. You are benders of the elements, when your hands glowed they singled that you are all descendants of the greatest benders in the world," she told us and I almost yelled in surprise.

"Mara do you remember the stories your mom and dad used to tell you? About that old Asian tale?" a women said who had brown hair and green eyes. I think she was Mara's aunt.

"Yes Aunt Eleanor, about the great benders who ended the world's worst war ever in history. There names were Fire Lord Zuko, Wife of the Avatar and greatest water bender Katara, Katara's brother and best swordsman Sokka, greatest earth bender and creator of metal bending Toph, and the Avatar Aang the last airbender," Mara finished.

"That's right," Eleanor said.

"So Zach you have a symbol of an earthbender and so you are," Zach's mother waved her hands in a motion to keep moving forward.

"So I'm an earth bender. A descendant of Toph?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes,"

"Mara you have the symbol of a waterbender. Waterbenders can bend water and so you are a descendant of Katara," Eleanor said.

"Wow!" Mara said.

"Sapphire you have a firebender symbol so you are a descendant of Fire Lord Zuko," Sapphire's mother said.

"Alex you are a descendant of Avatar Aang's son Tenzin," Alex's dad said.

"Gabe you are a descendant of Sokka, the great swordsman," Gabe mother and father said at the same time.

"Wait so I am good with a sword? That explains a lot," he started to wander in his memory. Then everyone looked at me. I had just realized that my mom had not called me out.

"Honey you are the descendant of Avatar Aang, the last airbender," my Mom said and I just stared at her for a long time. There was silence and then I said.

"So is Alex like my cousin in a weird way?" I asked finally.

"I guess...," my Mom looked at me in wonder. I looked over at Alex.

"Cool," I said more calmly than I expected.

"That is all you can think of to say after 20 minutes of silence?" he looked at me in confusion. I shrugged.

"Aunt I have a question. It is said in the story that Aang had glowing blue tattoos? Candle doesn't have tattoos," Mara pointed at me.

"Not everyone has-," but Eleanor was cut off.

"Yes she does Mara, when she bends they come out. Only when she is calm and not bending her tattoos are hidden," my Mom explained.

"Wait so if I bend some water then my tattoos will show?" I asked.

"Yes," my Mom said calmly. I got up and walked to the sink. I turned on the water and moved my hands in a movement I didn't know but it just came naturally to me. The water started to move and come out of the sink. Just then everyone gasped, I looked down and saw that blue lines were glowing on me. I screamed and dropped the water, they went away after a couple seconds.

"Sorry Mom," I said bending the water back into the sink.


	3. Chapter 3

Candle's POV.

All of us had figured out what we could, now our only hope was not to get caught at school. Our parents had told us not to bend at school unless you were under attack.

Well that is exactly what happened today (it's monday now). You see we were outside the day before at our house as our parents were each telling us one thing we could do. My mom was trying to explain how water bending worked. Her great grandmother had told her that one day she would have a need for it. Just like me my friends parents had the same training.

Even Gabe's parents knew what they were doing it. I gotta say his mom was a great swords woman. Anyway we were all in the backyard and we were learning and repeating the same move until we got it perfect. I didn't notice until later that there were cameras looking at us. The cameras on the street were recording every move we did.

When we got to school it started pretty normal. Classes, us in the back of the room, and what not. Everything changed in fourth period. You see we were having a quiet day working on a study guide for something I did pay attention to. Zach, Mara, Alex, Sapphire, Gabe, and I were all talking to each other in our heads.

'So does anyone know number 5?' I asked.

'Oh! Oh!,' Zach look excited,'I... don't,' he laughed and I gave him a death glare and then laugh silently like him and so did everyone else.

'I do Candle,'Mara said after she was done laughing.

'Shocker,' I said sarcastically. Mara knew like every question. she gave me a face and then told em the question. although right in the middle a fire alarm went off.

'Oh great,' I though and everyone looked at me like they agreed.

"Everyone line up outside," Mrs. Cocker said. We lined up last so we could be the first ones in. We were also the last ones who would make it outside. i didn't really care, there never is a real fire alarm.

Just as the last of the kids went out the doors shut. We were about to open them when I heard people walking behind us. I turn around and saw men and women, and more surprisingly their hands were on fire.

"Hey guys," I said and they turned around.

"Oh great," Zach said.

"Why didn't I think about that," Mara said, I didn't know what she meant about that comment, but I didn't care right then.

"Oh this going to be fun. We get to take out some kids, who don't even know how to bend correctly. We have the best jobs," One of the mask men said.

We pulled up our elements. Mara water, Zach earth, Alex air, Sapphire fire, I water, and Gabe well he didn't have his sword on him right now. so i thought on where he could get one. It took me a couple seconds on where to find one, then it hit me Mrs. Shumaker always had a sword in the closet of her room. I ran in making everyone look and then I heard the battle begin.

I quickly ran into the closet and picked up the sword that she had. I ran back out yelling Gabe's name.

"Gabe here," he turned and looked at me, I threw him the sword. He caught it with one hand and deflected the fore that was heading straight for him. He turn and smile his thanks.

Since I only new water I could only use the element water. I ran to the water fountain and pulled the water out creating an ice shield in front of me. The fire that hit it melted, and I just picked up the water again and slashed at the person who shot it. I didn't exactly know how I knew that fire was there I guessed I use my extensive senses to feel it was coming.

I started to smell smoke and I looked down the hall and saw that it was on fire. I was really glad that everyone was out, I also was hoping that they could see the smoke from the outside, so they wouldn't come in.

The battle raged on, soon the whole hall was on fire and we were coughing instantly. We had most everyone one who was masked down and hurt. The last of them stopped fighting. They started to pick up the wounded.

"I hope you said goodbye to your parents," the leader, or by the looks of it he was, said and then they threw a smoke bomb onto the floor. Then I heard the door clasp behind me.

"Zach," I said.

"On it," He bent some rock out of the floor and shoved it to the clasp door. The rock blew a hole big enough for all of us to fit through without burning ourselves.

Zach went last out of all of us. He closed up the hole so it wouldn't make even more damage. Then he walked over to the next clasped door and blew a hole through. We all climbed through and made it about 100 feet and fire blew through sending us back from the shock wave.

Then teachers and the nurse came over. They all started to fuss over us. The teachers were revealed that we were not hurt, but kept trying to help us. Soon they went over to the principle and talked to her. While that was going on we slipped away.

"That was to close," Mara said as she looked in her backpack, it was the only thing she brought out of Mrs. Corker's class while we were fighting. She pulled out an old book.

"Where did you find that fossil?" Zach asked.

"I found it in the very back of the library, on the bottom one of the shelf. It tell the full legend of Avatar Aang," Mara explained.

"So why did you say that you should have known?" Sapphire asked.

"While I was reading I read over this, and didn't give it a second thought," Mara fought with her self on that one," I saw that Aang had friends and enemies who were benders. When I saw that there were people firebending I thought back to the page in the book," Mara finished.

"So who are they working for," Gabe asked.

"Some darkness that Aang died from, it doesn't show the name, it just says that darkness and then the name is crossed out with so much ink that I don't think I could bend it off," Mara said.

"It's probably also protected by some magic or something," I said as I walked through the door. Then I bolted through the house checking every room for my mom. She wasn't in any rooms. Finally I stopped and dropped my head standing in the kitchen.

"Did you find her?" Alex asked.

"No," I said sadness dripped in my voice.

"That probably means that the same thing has happen to our parents," Zach said," Hey what's this?"

I looked on the floor and it looked like a note.

"It's from the men and women who attacked us," I said as I reached down for it. Then I felt I stabbing pain in my shoulder.

"Ah," I said as I put my hand on it, I removed my hand and saw blood all over it. I was shocked and then I saw a giant cut, it was bleeding heavily. The bad part was I was one of those people with, I getting better at not fainting, but this was just pure shock.

I started to see blackness. I heard everyone saying my name, it was really faint. Then the blackness took over. I had fainted.

I woke up to Alex blowing air on me and Gabe saying my name while shaking me. It took me sometime to realize what had happen and then everything came back. The school burning, the men and women in mask, and them taking my mom. My Mom. She was gone. I felt tears coming on. I tried to hold them back but they came out and out.

I looked up and saw Gabe got knocked over with a pillow. I laughed.

"Hey what was that for, I'm not that pillow friendly," Gabe said rubbing his head where he had hit it on the floor.

"That's for making Candle cry," Zach said and then threw another pillow knocking Gabe back to the floor.

"Zach stop, he didn't make me cry. I just remembered what had happened over the day.I mean just this morning I was more toast that my mom had made for me," I said.

"Oh," Zach said throwing the last pillow after he paused. Gabe caught it.

"Really," Gabe said and I smiled.

"So Mara healed you with her water bending. Turns out she is one of the few who can do that, just like Katara. Then Sapphire bandaged you up and Alex started to blow air on you to make you wake up," Zach explained.

"Really how land was I out?" I asked.

"About 40 minutes,"

"What!" I was surprised how long I was out.

"Well on the bright side we know who is after us, and on the bad side your mom is safe," I raised an eyebrow," Oh, wait sorry the other way around your mom is safe and we know who is after us. But you might not like it," Zach finished.

"Well who is it?" I asked.

"It's the darkness Mara was talking about, according to legend he went to sleep just before he died," Sapphire explained.

"Isn't that just like you you're dead now," Alex asked.

"Well no, you see this darkness knows great magic and sorcery. So when he was an inch from death he put himself in a coma. Just before he did this he asked one of his long lost friends to take him in his coffin and put him in a far away cave on a mountain in the Himalayas. It is said that when the descendants of Avatar Aang, who could bend, realized who they were he would wake. Although we don't exactly know who we are so I can't say if he's up to full power," Sapphire finished.

"Great so there's is this big darkness who is after us, but if he can't be at full power yet how is he sending people after us," Gabe asked.

"Great question, my conclusion is that he has taken over the supernatural part of the British government," Mara said," We will need to stop him, but we will find out who we are before we destroy him once and for all."

"Great," I sat back down on the couch. We were silent for awhile, then I spoke up.

"Sapphire let me see the note," she handed me it," if I know my mother she would have left us... directions... or clues... or something...," I felt the paper and saw that it was really thick," Ha!" I pulled the message that my mother had stuck to the back of the note they had left.

"It says:

Candle (and others),

We are sorry, but we need to leave early for sometime. We have packed you some money, food and plane tickets for your journeys. We have friends that we know who can teach you farther. Go to YellowStone Park, Then The Amazon Jungle, Next to the Alps, and finally to Japan. Each time you reach there, is the place where the next element will start in the line. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. I hope to see you soon

Love,

Mom

I stared at the letter for awhile. I didn't know where she could have gone. Along with all the others parents

"So we go each of our houses and get cloths and other stuff," Zach said.

"Yes, but we need to pack light, we might need to wear the same cloths for 5 to 7 days," Mara said and started to flip thru the pages of the book.

I walked up stairs and went into my room, only Mara came in with me. The rest went to their houses to go get there things. We promised to meet back here. I got out my smallest bag, it could hold a lot though. It was like those bags that has to straps but there really thin and the bag will go down low. Although my bag was adjusted to wear it was on my back, I didn't like how it hit my knees. I threw in some cloths, two note books, and as I was looking for my hair brush and hair bands Mara called me over.

"Hey Candle, look what I found on your bed," I came over. On my bed were 6 scrolls. One was blue, one was red, one was brown, one was copper, one was a very faint blue, and there was a thicker on that had each color on it. I picked it up and opened it. There was a whole section for air bending, then water, then earth, and then fire. At the very back was some drawn in sword moves, they were very detailed. There were only four. I guess I will have to find out more from Gabe.

"There is a scroll for everyone," I said placing the thicker one down. Each one resembled an element!" I exclaimed picking each one up and opening them. They had extraordinary detail.

"Wait Mara I just thought of something, why did you go over to your house to get your stuff," I asked as I turned to her.

"It was already here. My mom informed me and so I packed my stuff earlier this morning. It's down stairs. Would you like me to grab it?" she asked.

"No we can get it on the way out," I said then I put everything out on my bed, I quickly checked over everything.

I had my cloths, enough for about two week changing only once, two notebooks (one small and one big), the scroll, and my phone. I haven't told you about my phone. I wouldn't say it old, it one of those ones where you turn it sideways and then flip the phone part up and the keyboard shows. Any I had that, I also had two books, Spirit animals and Spirit animals hunted. They were the first two books to come out the next was coming out in April. Even though it seemed like a lot there was still a lot of room left.

Just then my phone rang, it was Alex. I answered it.

"Hello," I said.

"Hey Candle it's Alex I need you over here stat," he said, I realized that he was breathing hely.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well I found the British supernatural government, they are approaching my road," he explained.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I set up cameras when I first moved here and now they have come in handy, I turned them on when I came in to get my stuff and after I had put in a book they went crazy alerting me. We need to get out of here before they reach my house and maybe everyone else's house," I was stunned," correction they are now heading to everyone's house. We should me at the airport to catch our plane to yellowstone. There about two streets away. I'll see you there," and then Alex hung up, I turned to Mara.

"We need to go now," I said picking up my stuff, I grabbed my headphones and charger, making sure I had every piece. I ran down stairs grabbing some health bars to eat. Mara grabbed her stuff and put her scroll and book in her backpack.

Her backpack had a rainbow leopard print and many pockets. She threw it over her shoulders. I picked up a key for my house so I could bring it with me to give to Mom. We went out through the back and I got my bike. I offered one to Mara, but she said she was good running.

We made our way down the street. Then my phone went off, it was Gabe.

"Hey, have you heard the news about meeting at the airport?" I asked.

"Hey, yeah. But do you know how far the airport is?" He asked.

"No, hey Alex so you know how far it is," I asked him. Through my headphones.

"Yeah, it is about 30 minutes away, so I hope you like biking," he said.

"Thanks you have just made my day," I said sarcastically.

"Well we need the word out," Sapphire said," Whoa!" I heard her scream.

"Sapphire!" I yelled and I heard everyone else yell.

"There is a huge traffic jam that you should be coming up on right about now, all of you," she said and the cars started to slow down. I started to see everyone. I looked down at Mara and she was breathing hard but not so. Soon after we had started to run I had put her backpack and mine in the basket behind. She didn't say anything but I knew she was thankful.

I biked through the crowd of cars to get to Sapphire. Then I got to her.

"Hey, this could be a problem on making our flight," I said.

"Yeah, lets wait for the others and then weave through the cars," she said. Just as she said that. Gabe came up and rested on his bike, then Zach came up. He had been riding his bike too. Then Alex came up from riding his scooter. We had everyone one. We went off to the side so we wouldn't get in anyone's way. We didn't want to draw attention.

"OK we have about an hour until our flight leaves to yellow stone and we have 10 minutes to the airport, but we still have to go through bag checking. Did anyone pack anything that could delay us?" Alex asked.

"Well I do have some things for you guys that I found on my bed," I said reaching into my bag and pulled out everyone's scrolls. They each looked surprised at them.

"How did you get these?" Sapphire asked.

"I don't know, I just found them on my bed," I explained," each of them have very detailed drawings of moves. Even for a swordsman."

"OK, so now we need to get to the airport," Alex said looking at his phone and his tablet to make sure of the time," we only got 50 minutes now."

With that we all got back to riding our bikes, scooters, roller skates, and running. Though we needed to get there fast so I had Mara get on the back of my bike. I knew it wasn't the safest thing and I also knew that people might yell at us from the highway, but we needed to get there.

Soon the traffic started to clear up and move. Sooner we were riding beside cars going 70 miles per hour.

"There!" yelled Zach," there's the airport exit."

He was right the sign said airport and then had an arrow. Couldn't be more obvious. We took that exit, we had to go on the road and lucky for us there were huge gaps between each car.

"Hey, Candle. I just just thought of something," Mara said behind me.

"What, Mara?" I asked.

"How are we going to get the bikes and other things onto the plane, cause I don't we need to rent a car. We don't know how to drive. That's three years away," she said and she had a point , we can't drive.

"I'll tell them when we get there, " I told her as we rode past the car rental. Then I saw the airport parking, I had rode to the front of everyone. I took the turn and hoped the others followed.

"They're following right?" I asked.

"Yeah," Mara answered.

"Hey Zach," I said.

"Yeah Candle,"

"I need you to check for the tickets in my bag," I said while taking off my bag and handing it to him," look for the gate."

I heard him looking threw my bag.

"Here, gate D," he said and then I took a sharp turn to make the right parking.

"We don't need to pay for parking since we are taking our bikes, scooters, and roller blades. So we just need to go to the drop off," Sapphire said.

"Cool,"

We road to the drop off and went all the way to the end so we wouldn't hold up traffic. I just realized that it was sunset.

"How much time do we have?" I asked Alex.

"40 minutes," he replied.

"K, we need to check in quick and go threw security quick," I said," but one more thing," everyone looked at me," Mara we need to take these on the plane how?" I asked.


	4. Chapter 4

Candle's POV.

We stood at the drop out area. We had pulled our bikes off on to the sidewalk. We were unloading everything off the bikes.

"Mara, what did you pack?" I asked.

"Well I have the book, some clothes, I have all of my money, my phone, and my tablet," she said.

"Great, I brought money to. Did anyone else bring some?" I asked.

"I did, and I think I speak for everyone," Gabe said and everyone else nodded.

"Cool so we have more money than my mom gave, and another thing Mara we need to bring our bikes onto the plane. How?"

"Well there is this spell that I read in the book, it's called miromanze," Mara said.

"Well that's great, but how do we use it," Zach said.

"Just like it says, you say miromanze," and with that we all said it, our bikes shrunk down so we could fit it into our bags.

"I hope it will go through bag checking easily," Alex said.

We walked in, each of us carrying 1 bag, so we could take it onto the plane. We walked up to the lady at the desk so we could check into our plane.

"Excuse me," she looked up at me," but we are here to check into flight," I looked down at my ticket," 247 and we need to check in."

"Are you here with your parents?" she asked.

"Um, no you see they had to do something and they only had time to drop us off. But they gave me the money," I said holding up 40 dollars.

"That will do, you are now checked into flight 247," she said as she handed me back 20 dollars.

We walked off towards bag check.

"That was quick. I am so glad that only took 5 seconds, with 20 dollars," Alex said checking his tablet and watch," we have 35 minutes, we just made it," he said while breathing out.

"Great, now quickly we need to make it to bag checking," I said.

We walked up to the line and we took the smallest one, which only had 7 people in it. They quickly went away and we quickly passed the check.

"Great that went quick," Gabe said.

"Yeah now come on.. or we'll...-," but I never finished and they all turned around to see what I was looking at.

"Oh God," Sapphire said and she was right, because a little ways behind us there was the people who were chasing us.

"Oh, crap," Zach said," any objectives on running away?"

No one disagreed on that note. We all ran, but most of us didn't have the energy so we hide behind one of the walls and there happened to be a bathroom. We all nodded and ran into the two.

I stood next to Mara and Sapphire. We held our breaths. I heard men running outside and yelling random things. We could only hope. The voices started to fade, and we breathed out.

"That was to close," Mara said.

"Your right, lets see if they're gone," I said walking out. I saw the others coming out to. They nodded and we moved on to our gate, but we stopped to buy food, we really needed something to eat. After all that ridding.

We stopped at dunkin' donuts, that was the first thing we could get to, and I got some hash browns. I also most jumped with joy, I love hash-browns.

We started to run to our gate, we had 20 minutes. We ran for dear life and only got there just in time. We all scanned our tickets and sat down. Turned out that it was one of those ones with 2 then 3 then 2 seats. A really big plane.

"That was the best doughnut I have had in years," Zach said.

"Zach you had some yesterday," Mara said.

"Oh yeah. Just forget I said that,"

"Attention, this is your captain speaking. Thank you for choosing Delta. We will be arriving at Wyoming in 5 hours. Thank you choosing the Atlanta airport," he said and then hung up.

The plane started to move, but we still had about 20 minutes until we took off. I started to relax. I looked over to see who I was sitting next to, it was Gabe. I knew that it would probably be a good plane ride. Though counting our luck with the school and almost being caught, we don't want to get too relaxed.

"Hey we made it," I said to him.

"Yep, but we might not want to get too relaxed," he said

"You're right, counting our luck," I said and he laughed a little. Then the plane started to move, this time it didn't stop. We were getting into position for take off.

Then we started to gain speed and I tensed.

"Candle, are you ok?" he asked me.

"I always hate the takeoff and landing. I always feel like I am going to die," I said.

"Hey, it's ok. As long as the plane points up, we're not going to fall," he said and then held my hand. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. I could feel that he was stunned, but then snapped back into reality. I laughed a little. Then I started to breath heavily, as the plane took off. Soon we were up and level.

"Candle," Mara said in my head, then I heard Zach.

"Candle, so about Yellowstone-," but Mara cut him off.

"What are we going to do when we get there? I mean is there going to be someone there who has a sign that says Candle?" She asked.

"She's right," Alex thought to me.

"Are we going to stay with someone?" Sapphire asked.

"Guys stop asking questions, or you'll never going to get the answers," Gabe yelled to everyone, in our minds.

"Thanks," I thought.

"I'll check the letter, maybe there will be some clue," I said, I was glad that I had grabbed it on my out. I pulled it out of my bag and looked it over.

"Alex can you look it over?" I asked as we handed it down to him. He sat at the very end by the window.

"I see that the paper got thicker," he thought to me.

"How I didn't feel that or see that?" I asked.

"I don't know. Magic? Anyway it says that we're going to stay a family friend of my mom's," he said in amazement.

"Who?" Sapphire asked.

"Well his name is Creg. He was a friend to her in college and then she asked him to watch us. Though he can't meet us at the airport he is going to meet us when we get to the park. At the gate. Where we're going to meet him, is the other side of where he lives. He also has 4 children and his wife living with him," Alex finished.

"Cool," Sapphire said. For the rest of the ride we didn't talk. I barely remember falling asleep until I was woken up by Gabe.

We were beginning our descent. All of us had missed the snacks and drinks. As I recalled we haven't had any food for a long time, well only five hours but I didn't care. I hoped we could get something to eat before we meet the dude.

We needed to anyway we're going to have to ride for about 2 hours to get there. Mara, who had lots of money saved up from pet-sitting, wanted to buy a skateboard. She loves running but she needed to make things faster. Then I felt the plane getting close to the ground. I wasn't near a window but I could feel the pull.

I tensed, when I looked out a window a saw that we were 2 feet from the ground. Gabe held my hand, and he whispered that it would be ok. I trusted him. Then we hit, at first I thought we had already landed and were running down the runway. Man was I wrong, we hit the ground hard. I remembered that movie Madagascar 2. When the penguin was telling Rico to kiss the ground and I really wished that had happened.

Soon I relaxed, and Gabe let go. I put my tablet back into my bag and took out my phone. We were close to the front of the plane and had an easy way out.

"We can get something to eat when we get of right," I asked to no one in particular.

"Yeah," they all said.

"Where?" I asked

"We could go to dunkin doughnuts. They have great breakfast deals," Zach said, eating with his eyes as he showed us a magazine. We all nodded and got our stuff we walked off.

As soon as we got off, I got some bars and then wifi. I took out my tablet and looked up the weather. It was going to be cloudy and a 70% percent chance of rain. Great, we might be riding in the rain. We walked to dunkin doughnuts. Which wasn't far because we at gate D7, which also happened to be right next to it.

All of us had something. I had a sandwich, with ham, bacon, and cheese. It was the most awesome thing I had had in a while. I also got some orange juice. I love orange juice and no one in the world could change that!

Everyone else got something. Soon we were done and happy, I walked with Mara to get her a skate board. We walked up to the sports shop, although they didn't have any on display. Mara still asked if they had any. The shopkeeper smiled and brought us to the back.

At first I was surprised that they even had one, though it was only the size of a walk in closet. Though it could hold more than you would think. Helmets, skateboards, fold up scooters, and some more things.

The man directed Mara over to the 5 skateboarders that were there. There were two blue ones that she saw. One looked like the night with a wolf howling on it.I thought for sure that Mara would buy it. Though I was proven wrong when there was one with a Travis flying in space on the back. Mara and I love Doctor Who to the end of the world. Though the world doesn't have an end, it just goes round and round. So I guess it would be infant.

Anyway, she started to fight with the store owner.

"I would like this one," she said.

"Are you sure? Most people like this one," he said pulling up one that had a rainbow on it. She had a disgusted face on, I was pretty sure I had the same face on.

"No! I will take this one or I will go find another store that sells skateboards," she declared. I gave the store owner a look that meant take it or leave it," here is the money," she pulled out 60 dollars and gave it to the man.

He took and we walked out of the store. I was glad that we didn't have to go any further into the fight or that man would have had a arm out of place. No idea what she would do if she had water on her side.

Mara placed her new skateboard on the ground and stepped on.

"Are you getting on?" She asked.

"Yeah, I mean well... sure," I said and got on the back. There was barely enough room for the both of us. I held onto her tight,"are you sure this is safe, I mean we don't want to draw any attention to us. We are trying to stay hidden."

"I don't care, I want to get out of this heck of an airport," she said leaning forward dodging people. Then we saw the rest. We needed to get to baggage claim, get to exit, and Mara was mad. The day couldn't get any worse.

"What took you so long?" Zach asked, holding up his drink.

"Don't push my buttons!" Mara said and I got off to give her some space.

"I wouldn't do that Zach, she didn't really like the stores man," I explained and walked over to Gabe.

"What exactly happened?" He asked.

"She had a fight with the stores man. Remember how she hates pink?"

"Yep,"

"Well he suggested a pink skate board and to make it worse it was sparkly. Yep, she scowled at him and then gave a whole lecture about it. She almost blew, I could see it in her face and in her eyes," I explained.

"Yeah...," he replied.

"So we need to get to baggage claim and find an exit. Anyone know where that is?" I asked.

"Well the baggage claim is down there," Sapphire pointed to some escalators," and then we follow the hallway, there will be some escalators heading up. You take a right and find your number. Which is 3 by the way."

"Great so do we have everything?" I asked and they all nodded, Mara put down her skateboard and rode off we quickly caught up to her by running. We ran down the escalators and she rode down the metal strip the cut the one going up, from the one going down. We ran down the hallway very quickly, though a lot of people yelled at us. Most were at Mara for the skateboard. We didn't mind any of them, then the one that went up approached. Though there was a set of stairs with no one on it. Mara got off her board and ran up the stairs, is following behind.

"Here we are," Alex said.

"Great now find an exit, we only brought what we have, " I said. Then I saw a set of doors about 30 feet in front of us.

"Alex was there a phone number on that note?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"I need it to let that person know we're coming," I said and he handed me the note, at the bottom was a number. I quickly typed it in my phone and hit talk. It only rang once.

"Hello?" A make voice said.

"Yes this is Candle, I am a friend of Alex. We landed and we are coming to the entrance. Is there I was just calling to let you know," I said.

"Ah, ye. I remember Alex. I will meet you at the sign that says welcome to Yellowstone. Now I need to go to prepare for your arrival. Call if there's any trouble, " he said and then hung up.

We were outside now and had just brought our bikes out to turn big again.

"What did he say?" Alex asked.

"He said he would meet us at the sign that says Yellowstone," I said.

"That's great, but there's four signs that say that, which one?" Zach asked.

"Um, I don't know," I said, I took out my phone and dialed the number again.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, sorry it's Candle again. Which sign?" I asked.

"Oh, the eastern one, I will meet you there and take you to my house," he said and then hung up.

"Ok, great. So he's going to meet us at eastern sign and bring us the western entrance. Then take us to his house," I explained.

"Awesome," Sapphire said as we rode down the highway. It wasn't like the ones in atlanta, mainly because not much people live in Wyoming. Still it was in great condition.

We followed the signs that lead us the eastern entrance. Soon it started to rain, I don't mean like just a drizzle, but a big thunderstorm. The trees swayed through the wind. Rain came down so we couldn't see five feet in front of us. Lighting flashed every 2 minutes giving us some sight. We had pulled over to put on ponchos, I was lucky I even remembered to pack one.

We got back on the road, it had been 1 and a half hours since we had put our coats on and we were a tad bit drier. Though it didn't lighten my mood, or the others. When we talked we talked through our minds. Not daring to speak.

By the time we saw the eastern entrance sign we were all soaked to the bone and in a very grumpy mood. I saw a white car up a head.

"There!" I yelled and then got to the front and pulled off to the side to get to the car, it was right below the sign. Just as Creg said. It was a Mini- van. Which was good idea for all of us.

"Hello?" Mara said tapping on the window. Then the car door opened.

"Get in, the rain's bad enough," he said smiling.

"Thanks," I said. I got the front seat next to him, though no one was in a mood to argue. I knew that someone wanted the seat.

"Does anyone want to ride shotgun?" I asked. They all shook there heads. Already nice where they were. I climbed in and immediately felt dry.

"Whoa, but I was soaked to the bone?" I said, but it was more like a question.

"I rigged this car to dry when it rained. It rains here all the time," he explained.

"Oh, cool. SO you're a friend of Alex's mom?"

"Yep, I haven't seen Alex since he was about 4 years old. I doubt you remember me, Alex?"

"No, but you voice sound familiar," he said.

"That's great. So it will be a forty minute drive to my out of the park and then a twenty minute drive to my house. All in all an hour and 10 minutes if the rain is bad," he said no one said a word, we were all just glad to be dry.


	5. Chapter 5

Candle's POV.

The rain was coming down in sheets. I could hear it pelting the car at high force. How Creg could be so calm in this, I don't know. Mara was behind me, and Alex across from her. You see it's a minivan, so the two middle seats were separated by a small isle. About half a foot across. The back seats were all together, and the front seats were separated by a small table which had sheets for his children's school.

"So, Candle. Right?" he asked.

"Yep, behind me is Mara, and across to her is Alex. As you already know. Behind Mara is Zach and behind Alex is Gabe. In the middle of them is Sapphire," I explained.

"Great-," but he was cut off. Some wind hit our car at amazing force. We swerved off the road for a couple seconds, into some cattle herd that was on the side of the road.

"Whoa!" I heard Zach and Sapphire yell.

"Hold on, only one could mean that type of wind blast," he said getting back on the road and hit the accelerator pedal, to its full value," Tornado. Only 11 miles away from us."

We all were in shock.

"Wait I have an idea," I turned back to Sapphire," it involves getting out of the car. Sapphire I need you to come."

She stared at me in pure shock. Then nodded.

"What!" Creg yelled," I am not letting you go out there!"

"It's us getting out there or the whole car being swept up by tornado," I said, I didn't wait for his response and opened the door. Sapphire did the same for the door in front of me.

Against the wind, rain, and a raging tornado, we climbed to the top of the car.

"OK, here's the plan," I said and then got down to the back of the car. I stood on the small back bump. I knocked on the window behind me. It rolled down," Gabe Zach I need you to hold us with this rope," I pulled it from the trunk bottom.

They nodded and and we tied it onto our selves. Gabe grabbed my end and Zach Sapphire's. Then we climbed back up to the top of the car. I could see the tornado from here, it wasn't a pretty sight, ripping up grass and trees. Almost looked like my death. Which might happen.

"Ok, were going to take our firebending and blast the fire to make the car go faster. Now mind that it's already going 90 miles per hour. So we need to make it go about, um, 130. That tornado is also gaining speed, and debris," I explained, she nodded. I could see the fear in her eyes and determination. I knew I had the same in my face.

Then the rain came down harder. I could feel every drop and the wind. I could feel its power, I knew that Mara and Alex felt the same.

"Wait!" I heard a voice.

"Huh?" I turned and saw Alex climbing.

"I'm helping. Air can help push. I could also try to keep the tornado under control, they are made up of air mostly," I nodded, and took my stance.

The wind picked up, as if it didn't want us to do this.

"Ready?!" I yelled.

'Yeah,' They said in my head.

"Now!" I yelled and then we all blasted as much power as we could give. Things flew at us at amazing speeds. But we didn't give up. Soon the tornado went faster and came closer. Alex had other plans though, he stopped blasting air and tried to take the air out of the tornado. leaving only the debris to fall to the ground.

Then I felt the air around us thin. As he took away the air he took away the air around us. This would make it even harder to concentrate. A normal human would have died in about 2 more minutes of this, but we weren't normal.

I was starting to get mad, I knew if I kept this up I might go full on avatar. My blue tattoos were already bright and glowing. I just had to trust Gabe to hold on.

I guess my body couldn't take it any more.

"Hey guys, I think I might...," I trailed off.

"Go avatar?" Sapphire asked.

"Yeah, I need you guys to get off. I don't know how this will affect you guys," I said.

"No!" Alex yelled over the wind.

"What?"

"What if something happens?"

"Gabe's got hold of me. I know he wouldn't never let go," I said with confidence in my voice.

"Well I'm not leaving," he said crossing his arms.

"Fine then, but you better sit low," then I turned to Sapphire, I could feel my tattoos glowing brighter," go hold Alex's rope."

She nodded and climbed down. I saw the rope that held Alex slacken and then be pulled tight again. Alex got down low near my knees, he held onto the bar right next to him. Then blue light surrounded my vision. And for the first time I could feel what I was doing.

I shot fire at the tornado, and then I turned around and shot a fire fire stream out of one hand and an air stream out of the other. Then I couldn't feel anything. I saw small black dots that grew until they were all over.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

I started to see color, but it was very blurry and in blotches. Then I heard voices, though they were faint and sounded far away. I felt softness, like a blanket or fur. That's when my eyes shot open and I sat up. This wasn't the car, the tornado, or outside.

The room was huge. There were stairs leading down to my right. So this was an up stairs, I thought to myself. Then in front of me just past the stairs was a latter and behind that was a door. The latter lead up to a small loft. At the other end of the room, right in front of me was a queen sized bed. Above me was wooden slots, which held a mattress. I knew that I was on the bottom level of a bunk bed.

Then to my left was a TV set. Though it sat on the ground it was a fairly good size for a room that can 5 people. Also behind me to my right was a separated bed, though only by a wall 3 feet long.

"Hello?" I asked, I could still hear the voices, but they weren't coming closer. I stood up slowly, but blackness still stain my vision. I stopped for a minute to clear it away. Then I slowly walked down the stairs. They weren't steep, which I was glad for. Though an interesting thing was that the rails were paddles. Liking the ones you use to row a boat.

I put my hand on the wall and felt a wave of pain. I looked over to my arm. I saw that it was covered in bandages. I found that my whole upper chest was covered in bandage. From my left shoulder to my right shoulder. My right ankle also had been bandaged and it throbbed on contact with the floor.

I tried walking down the stairs. It hurt more than anything I had experienced, I hoped never to feel that pain again. May arms barely helped me stay up right. As I got closer to the bottom, which wasn't to far only about 10 steps. I could hear the voices more clearly. I could hear a male voice talking, it took me a minute to figure out that it was Zach trying to explained what had happened at the school.

Then I got to the doorway, which was only about 3 feet away. The door lead out to the great room and the kitchen. In the great room was a leather chair and then to the left of it was a leather rocking chair. Then across the room was a woven couch. You know the ones that have what looks like woven in yellow, red, and baize color. There was a huge fireplace that went to the top of the 15 foot high ceiling. Then next to it to the right was a TV.

There ceiling had 3 supporter beams. The beams were actually giant tree trunks. Polished and limes cut off, with the little nubs all smooth. 4 kids sat in the chairs around the living room playing some video game. I saw that it was Mario Kart. It wasn't my favorite but it was a game that I enjoyed to play every once and a while.

I turned and saw the kitchen. There was an island that drew your eyes. It had granite counter tops. They were a baize color along with some black. Then behind was the black cabinets and the same counter tops. The stove was in the part that was covered by the over hang. Up above was the place I could guess was behind the door. The fridge was also under it. It was the last thing on that line on the countertop.

The voices hushed down when my foot hit the floor and made a small echo. They all turned to me, I felt like I wanted to melt into the shadows. I felt like I had done something wrong.

"Candle! You awake!" Zach yelled. He and Gabe ran over and bear hugged me. I fell back to the ground.

"Guys, I just woke up. Still weak," I said through gasp of air. They looked at each other and started to get off of me. I reached up my arms and hugged them.

"Uh, Candle. We just knocked you to the floor and squeezed the life out of yea. Could you please let go," Zach said. He was running out of air this time.

I let go and we all got up. Mara, Sapphire, and Alex stood by the bar. Where they all had been talking. I ran over, or more like half ran with my ankle, and hugged Mara and Sapphire. I turned and hugged my cousin.

"What happen while I was out there?" I asked when I let go.

"You went full Avatar. You destroyed the whole tornado. It was pretty awesome!" Alex said, excitement was in his eyes.

"I remember shoot fire and air, but the rest is fuzzy,"

"You did more than just that! After that you some of the air out of the tornado. pulled all the air away. The tornado and what it had picked up should have just dropped. But there was a layer of water. Which soon said was a typhoon on land. The only mystery was that a typhoon was a water tornado. Created to be on water. This was on land far away from any oceans big enough to give the power of a 5 typhoon. You shoot fire, air, bent water out of it, and even tried to stop it by in casing it in rock.

"Then your rope snapped and I tried to grab it. Though you took this as an advantage. You jumped off the car and ran on the slabs of earth and trees that were flying towards the typhoon. I told Gabe to tell Creg to stop the car. He did so. We all got out and stood there, we watched you jump off and blow fire from your feet. Using it to fly, you flew into the typhoon. Taking it out from the inside," my eye were wide. I hadn't known I had done any of this.

"The only problem was that you were in there. The typhoon tried to take you down. Forcing you back outside and throwing things at you. And then it just stopped. The water started to flow into the lake beside us," Mara had explained," I help you by running up to bend the water. My only question was, you didn't know how to bend fire, earth, or air.

I knew she was right How did I do that? All these questions were in my head. It made it throb. I wanted to know how I could do this stuff without training?

"You finished by the time we had all gotten there. Your fire started to flicker, Sapphire knew that this meant you were going to fall. She yelled and Zach bend up some rock in a mass panic. Alex put a cushion of air under you and Sapphire put a layer of steam under. WE made a cushion so you wouldn't get more hurt than what you already were. Gabe, Creg, and I ran over. The first sight of you was horrifying. You were covered in dirt and bruises. Your shirt had a long cut through it. Your arms had the same one. Something big had cut you, and you were loosing a lot of blood from it. Your ankle had been strained and your wrist had a cut that was also bleeding," Mara explained.

"Mara use some water to heal some of the cuts," Sapphire spoke this time," She healed the cut on your wrist. All that's left was a small scar. We all headed back to the car. Gabe had picked you up and carried you like you were having a piggie back. When we got he had also carried you. Irene here, freaked out and tended to you right away," Sapphire finished.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Only for a couple hours," Irene assured.

"Oh, thanks," I looked back over to Alex and I saw that he had some bandages coming out of his shirt. I guess he saw me looking.

"Something hit me when I was kneeling down," a sheepish grin grin crossed his face.

"Hey Candle right?" One of the boys asked.

"Yeah," I looked down.

"My name's Dylan, that's Angel," he pointed to a girl sitting on the leather rocking chair. She had lighter hair than her dark hair brother. But one that looked older than him had darker. Then there was this other girl with dark blonde hair. She sat next to where Dylan sat on the leather couch. The eldest one with the darkest hair sat on the woven couch.

"Over there," he pointed to the woven couch," is Sam and next to where I was sitting is Rosemary."

"Hi," we all said.

"I was wondering if you wanted to play a Mario Kart?" he asked.

"Yeah sure. We would love too," I said back and the others nodded.


	6. Chapter 6

Even though it had only been about a week and a half my wounds hadn't healed much. The only changes was that my ankle had been keeping me up for at least 5 days.

Well on the bright side Creg's family had welcomed us like family and have helped us with our training in every way they can. Which you would be surprised how much they can help us. For starters, they have a secret library under their house. It has everything from air bending to the history of the benders. The only question was how did they get all of this?

Well turns out that Mara had thought of the same thing or she had been listening in my head when I had been thinking about it. He is an ancestor of the head of the greatest library that had ever been. He had also gone in and took out all the information that he could find when some people had found it while digging in the desert. It took him days to get all that had survived the sand and fire benders.

Most of the time I spent sparing with the whole family and the others. Oh, I should tell you that each of his children can bend. You see his wife was a first born descendant of the of the more recent avatars. I don't know the names of them yet. I haven't gotten that far into my training.

Angel was a water, and she was a pretty good one. A lot better than me or Mara by far. She took us out with one move of her hand. Just a flick and we were blasted with a wave of water. We were soaking wet. Zach made a mistake of laughing at us. I turned around and nodded to Angel and Mara. We all got a wave of water out of the lake and sent it down on him.

Since he was an earth bender he could not dry himself quickly like we could. He was wet for the next hour and a half.

I practiced with Angel for hours on end until I could dodge 8 out of 10 times the waves came towards me. Then Rosemary came up to me. She called my name and I turned around. Not only seconds later was a shoot of the slab of ice I was standing on in the lake, by a funnel of water.

"Yeah," I said slightly annoyed as I washed up on the shore. Then a wave of air came upon me. It almost had the same force f that wave of water that I had been hit with only seconds before.

"You know you don't have to dry me right away," I smiled, Rosemary was a soft person. But that's not to underestimated. She has an inside as hard as steel.

"Sorry, I just thought you would like to be dry for our lesson," she smiled and laughed. Rosemary was one of those people that could make you smiled no matter what. Her smile brightened even the most darkest of places.

"It's ok, I guess I would like to be dry. So what's the first lesson?" I asked, she smiled. But not in a way the was all happy like.

''''''''''''''''''

"You want me to do what!" I yelled.

"I want you to keep that leaf a float through that course," she said as she pointed to it. WE were in a cellar that was under the house. Turns out they have whole levels of underground training areas.

The cores looked like my death bed. It was just a plate of cement with poles of wood sticking out of them. With spikes. Spikes on the poles rotating. How was I supposed to keep a leaf up in that?

"Not to be weak or anything, but that thing," I pointed at it," sends chills up my spine. And one more thing, I don't know how airbend.

"Exactly. This is your test. Now follow me we have a ways to go," Rosemary smiled and lead me through the long and narrow paths back up to the surface.

''''''''''''''''''''''

We had hiked up the mountain that you could see from the house. Rosemary said that most people don't hike on the mountain because we own it and we also have this at the top on a trail that only she could find. The nature seemed to bend to her as she walked, revealing the path.

We got to the top and it was like harmony and serenity. Birds and other animals flew and moved around.

"This is where I meditate. The perfect place for an air bender to learn," she said and sat down. The area was shaped in a circle with stone lanterns placed at each corner, well if there was a corner. But you know what I mean.

"Here for over the next few months I will teach you the basics of airbending," she said creating an air funnel that wrapped around her," this is also where you will make your way into the spirit world for the first time. Today we are going to do that."

I looked at her like she was crazy, at the time I didn't know this would be awesome.

"The what?" I asked.

"The spirit world, in there you will get your explanation. I can not tell you what it will feel like or feel like. There have been many recordings of what it looks like, but none have been able to describe what it feels like," Rosemary said," Now to enter you will need the peace of the surroundings. I will be here, but I will be like your shadow. You will not be able to sense me."

"Wait, but what if something goes wrong?" I asked.

"It won't no Avatar has ever been greeted by a bad spirit for their first time in. Now meditate," she said, she may be a lot younger than me but she could save her life with all the information she posed.

I sat under the shade of a cherry tree. At first I had no idea how it was growing, but then I remembered this was an enchanted area. I listened to the trees sway in the wind and the birds with their different calls.

Then I felt a tingle, I opened my eyes and saw a different world. It was a Savannah of some sort,. And in front of me was an old man.

"Hello, my name is Iroh," said an old man. He was quite fat and wore a tan and green rode. He had a bowl in one of his hands and the other was held out for me. I took it.

"Thanks, and hello. Where am I," I asked.

"You are where you wanted to go. In the spirit world. The most peaceful place, and yet it can the most awful place you will ever see," he sighed.

"Iroh, Rosemary said I would get an explanation about the Avatars and this place when I got in here," I said. I still couldn't understand what this place was.

"Oh, yes I can show you around. And tell you what this place is. First thing you need to know is that you can't bend here," he said as we walked by a pond. I stopped and tried to make even the smallest of droplets come out. Nothing moved.

"See, but there are creatures here. Many, and they are all friendly. No evil spirits come in here freely anymore. As you being the Avatar you are the bridge between the two worlds. And that sense you are the only person who can open and close the portals. The portals are located in the North and South poles. They have been left open for creatures to go in between worlds and for humans to come into each world. But lately for the last 100 years the creatures have been slowly keeping away from the portals," he looked at the forest sadly. I saw some creatures going in and out of them. They were all happy and jumping around. Some of them flew around.

"Iroh, why have they stop coming to our world?" I asked.

"Because they sense something, something they don't want to be a part of. I wish I could say what it was, but I think it has to do with what happened last time," he looked at me.

"What happened?" I asked.

"That is not for me to tell. Your friend the Water bender, Mara think. That book she has, it lies. Whatever is doing this was after Avatar Aang's time. I hope you are learning fast because this is going to happen in 2 years. When the planets a line during the longest day of the year," he warned.

"How am I going to learn all the elements in 2 years? I mean, I barely know air, much less water," I sat down. I didn't even know how I would do it. I mean I don't have my mom and neither do the others. I didn't have a home to go back too, that was guarded by the government, and I didn't want to be tested on. I had to stay at people's homes, putting them endanger.

"Candle, you will alright and your mother too. I want to show you someone, she has helped and Avatar through the spirit world and was there when last time happened. Follow the path down there, it will lead you her," Iroh said.

"Wait you aren't coming with me?" I turned around, but he wasn't there," Iroh?"

I looked around, but the savanna was gone and fog was coming closer to me. I could hear the wild life quite. I didn't stick around, I ran down that path that Iroh was talking about. Soon it was full of wildlife sounds again. It was so peaceful, like it was when I was hiking up with Rosemary.

I ran over this natural bridge that was made of stone, next to it was a crystal blue waterfall. I stop and watched it fall, there was fish jumping out of it ever so often. And and birds had made nest on the ledges of rock that stuck out. I smiled, this was I wanted to live like. In a place where there was no war and everyone was safe.

I walked down the path for the rest of the time. Then I saw a light, and then an outline. It was night now, I surprised it even got night here, but I saw a shadow in the window. I knocked on the door.

"Hello," she a girl standing at the door," have you come for tea time?"

"No, Iroh sent me. I am Candle, the Avatar...," I trailed off, I didn't really consider myself the Avatar and I didn't want people taking it the wrong way.

"Oh, my gosh really! I haven't seen one of you for decades. Come in, I have tea on the stove," she said and moved aside. Her hut was small and there was only one room. The bed was covered by sheets overlapping each other, the kitchen was on the west side of the house. The sitting area on the east side. It felt homey, and I liked it.

"I like your house," I said.

"Thanks, I live here and care for the animals outside. They come to me for healing and help. After all I have been here for them for 200 years," she smiled and put sugar in the tea cups.

"Whoa! Why are you here, didn't you go to heaven or something?" I asked, I knew that might have rude. But a lot of my questions were just coming out and she didn't seem to mind.

"Well I could have chosen to move on into my after life, but I chose to stay here and care for the creatures. Everyone makes the choice to move on, or stay. There are few who choose to stay, but the people who do are always nice," she said as she sat down. She wore a orange, red, brown, and yellow suit. Her hair was brown and cut short and a little bun was in the top right corner. She had brown eyes and was always, always smiling.

"My name is Jinora. I am an airbender. I am the daughter of Tenzin, the son of Avatar Aang. I have a sister and two brothers. Candle, do you know what is happening with the animals here?" she asked.

"They aren't going near the portals. Iroh told me," I explained.

"Yes, he would have. But the animals aren't leaving anymore. Something is scaring them away from the portal," Jinora said.

"What do I do?" I asked.

"Well you do what Iroh told you, he is far wiser than I am. You need to learn all 4 elements by the end of that deadline. Whoever is doing this is gaining allies quickly," she looked out the window into the pitch black darkness.

Then she started to fade.

"Wait Jinora," I said, as I tried to reach out for her.

"You can find me when you looked in your soul. At your past lives, I will be there. I am a helper all Avatars. Seek me out when you need me," she smiled and then I woke in the grass. I was breathing hardly and my throat was dry.

"How was your trip?" Rosemary asked as she handed me a cup of water.


	7. Chapter 7

Candle's POV.

After my trip to the spirit world I told everyone what the deadline was. I wasn't too happy to learn I had to learn the elements quickly. Creg had told me that it takes almost about 10 years to learn all the elements perfectly. I wasn't to do this in 2 years.

We were also going to attend YellowStone academy. Although they have uniforms, which I wasn't to into. I mean I don't mind uniforms. I just don't want to wear them, part of it was skirts for the girls, but lucky they have pants for girls too.

All the teachers had been notified of our bending talents. I was glad. I didn't want to explain if we blew up a water fountain or something that would be bad. I was just hoping we would set the school on fire like last time. We were joining in at the second semester, this would be easier with the paperwork for Creg. He had been doing this ever since he found out we would be here for a long time. I needed to learn airbending fast.

"Candle the bus is coming soon," Sapphire called from downstairs. I was sitting on my bed, I was putting my notebooks in my bag. I had back up water with me just in case.

"I am coming," I called back, I limped across the room. I wasn't a huge limp, but because of my ankle getting strained. Irene said that for the rest of my life I would be like this, but the limp would become less and less. I walked down the stairs and Sapphire was standing there waiting for me.

"Are you Ok?" she asked.

"Yeah I will get over the limp in a while or just get used to it," I smiled.

"No I mean you have been quite lately," she looked at me.

"Nothing I am just tired after my practices," I made up an excuse quickly.

"No it is not that. You come in from your practices all happy and you are never tired."

"You aren't going to give this up are you?" I asked her.

"Nope," she laugh and I sighed.

"Fine, I am just worried about my mom. I don't even know where she is. I don't even know where to start," I looked down at the floor.

"Well, you start with your friends. We are all here for you, and I am worried about them too. We all are. You are not going in this alone," she smiled and walked out to the end of the driveway. I followed her and watched as the bus pulled up.

"Hey, we were waiting for you two," Gabe said as he walked up to me.

"We were just talking about my ankle. She was just asking if my ankle was going to be ok," I said.

"Yeah, you said you would get used to the feeling. Just don't go falling off mountains and breaking your other ankle," he laughed and the bus pulled up. It was one of the newer versions. So we could fit three people in a seat. Which is what we did.

The bus was loud and chaotic. About what every bus is like, unless you have one of those buses with one of those bus drivers. I had one of those before and hated it. I was in 1st grade and we did not know how to stay quiet. So we got in trouble a lot.

But the bus was chaotic and loud. I almost said they were louder than my bus and then rethought it. My bus could beat anyone in a loudness contest. Though we were high school and middle school combined. And there was the kids who cussed all the time. I got used to that after the first day.

"So how do like our bus?" Dylan asked.

"It's loud," I said.

"Yeah, no one I have met can say it's quite," he laughed.

"Well I could be the one. My bus is about 8x louder, with people cussing all the time. We are middle school mixed with high school," I sighed. I hated how we were combined. It made every seat a battlefield for who could get the open seat.

"So what is your school like. Besides the uniforms," Gabe looked down at the grey sweater vest he was forced to wear," I don't really fancy this."

"Well ever since the the main vice principal got mad at all of the students wearing things that weren't school "appropriate". Like leggings and skinny jeans. Plus shirt that didn't cover your shoulders and slides that the boys wore. Shorts the can't go above your knees. Yeah cloths like that, we started to break them. Well by next year, this year, she got us turned into a private school with a uniform. So now we have better food, a better school, better classrooms, and better teachers. Before our school sucked at everything," he explained.

"Wow, that sounds like our vice principal. She hates a lot of people, but our school is brand new and has a really good school system," Gabe explained.

"We haven't been at your school long enough to even understand what goes on in there," Sapphire said," the second day we were there we burned down the school."

We all laughed at the memory of that. Even though I lost my violin in that fire I still laugh at how we burned down the school.

"See looked at that school down there?" Angel said as she peeked up over the seat," Yeah that's our school. We are all in different grades, but we go to the same school. It is K-12. And it's huge! It took me half of the first year I was there to remember the whole place," Angle said as she threw her hands in the air.

"Our school wasn't as big as that!" I said as I looked at it. It had 5 floors and was as wide as the two football fields behind it. There was also a baseball field and a soccer field. I was in aw.

We got off the bus and walked in side. We were aloud to go straight to our classrooms, but we need our classes first. We headed to the office, well we had Rosemary show us the office and we followed her.

"Um, hi. We are the new students and we need our sheets," I asked the women at the desk.

"Oh yes, the new students. Your sheet are right here. And here's a map of the school," she said in a dull tone, almost like she was lifeless.

"Thanks," I said with and looked at her. She was wearing a grey suit and had bleach blonde hair. Her eyes had bags under her eyes and pale skin. As if she had tried to put to much pale blush on. I didn't like her.

I looked at Gabe, and handed him his sheet.

'I don't like her,' I said in my mind.

'Neither do I,' he replied and looked at his sheet.

"We are all in different classes except for the last classes," Zach said.

"Yeah your right and on different floors," Alex said.

"In different parts of the school," Mara looked at the rooms.

"They must think we are going to cause a catastrophe," Sapphire said.

"We can cause more than just that," I laughed and looked at the hall I had to go down. I was on the third floor on the the 6th hallway.

"Well the third bell has rung. That means it's first period. We should go before we get lectured about being late," Mara and walked over to the elevator.

"Right," I said and walked over too.

Gabe was on the first floor, and so was Zach. Alex was on the 5th, Sapphire on the 4th, and Mara on the second. We let each other off at the floor. When we got to the third floor I said good-bye and walked down the 6th hall. Room number 394.

I found it and walked in, it was a reading class. The whole class looked at me, I started to feel hot.

"I am the new student. Sorry I am late," I said.

"It's fine, all new students are late, but tomorrow if you are late it will be detention," the women said. She was as cold as the women was at the desk. The chairs were rolling and soft, and the desk were grey and connected. They were all in rows and the teacher stood at the front.

"Just have a seat down in the second row next to Mr. McMullen. We are currently working on how to make a Haiku," I sat down. I almost laughed out loud. I was in 8th grade and learning again how to make a haiku. I knew how to do this when I was in 5th grade.

'Oh, my god we are learning haiku's. I knew this stuff in 5th grade,'I laughed and thought to everyone.

'You're kidding, I learned that in 4th grade. You won't believe what we are learning in math. We are learning basic algebra, I mean basic,' Zach said.

'I know how that feels. In social studies we are learning about the four economies,' Gabe joined in.

'I am not doing much better in Language arts. I would not believe it unless I saw is with my own eyes. More than half of my class doesn't know what a noun is, much less a verb. I don't know if we were put in the lowest classes or this school is really dumb,' Mara said. I almost laughed again.

"I am doing the same thing in Language arts,' Sapphire said.

'Science isn't doing good either. We are just learning about what a cell is. I feel like I am back in 5th grade,' Alex said.

"Candle?" the teacher snapped me out of the conversation," Candle how many syllables are in a Haiku?"

"Are you saying line by line or in total?" I asked.

"In total," the teacher said, for once I saw her lip go up ever so slightly. Like she had finally found someone who knows something.

"17. There are 17 syllables. Line by line it's 5, 7, 5," I said.

"Good. Now can you tell me what haikus focus is on. What the subjects focus on?" she asked.

"Well a Haiku is a Japanese poem and it based on nature and the peace of nature," I said.

"Now, you see class here is a new girl who has just come who knows more than what you will know by the end of the year. You may be too good for this class," she praised me. No kidding was I too good for this class. This is the basis of the basic class. Only people who don't understand what the word, word is are the people who are in this class.

Then there was a beep and the intercom came on.

"Pardon the interruption teachers and students. I need you all to listen we have a code red! I repeat a code r-," and then there was static.

"Everyone I need you to get to the corner of the room. We have done this before," she yelled at the kids. They all ran over to the other side of the room. I got out my water.

"Um, Mrs. Teacher. I...," I help up my water.

"I know Avatar. Just sit back there and if anything bad happens then you can," she said and walked over to the rest of the class. I looked at my water, and I also knew airbending. There were water fountains outside too.

I walked over to the group and sat in the front. I held me water tightly, and then I heard Gabe.

'Guys, you need to come out to the first floor. I might not be able to hold my own for much longer,' he called. I gasped. I knew he had a sword on him. But it wasn't so good at blocking what ever at him.

"Um, I need to go now," I looked at the teacher.

"You can't this is a code red," said some random kid.

"Yeah, well I am not letting any of you people getting hurt. I think the government tracked us down faster than we expected," I said and then open my water. I moved my hand and the water came out in a slow and graceful way. I put the bottle down on a table.

'I am on my way,' I told Gabe and then kicked the door open. I saw the elevator and the stairs. I took the stairs. I was only on floor three, I could run down in a matter of seconds.

"Thanks for the review. But I think I know Haikus enough," I smiled and left the room. The stairs were closer together and easy to jump down. I opened the door of the first floor and saw the men shooting fire. Gabe was behind an opened door. There was lucky for me a water fountain right across the hall.

I took the water and made an ice wall. I ran over to him, the door was a classroom door. All the kids in there were stunned and watching him with the sword.

"Hey, have the other been able to get out?" I asked.

"Yeah, some of them are fighting on their floor and Zach is fighting one of them on the other side. The kids in here are all scared and freaking out. I think one of them was starting to cry.

"I am going to go help him," I said as I turned away from the students.

"Ok, I will try to make sure they don't get to through the ice barrier," he promised.

"Right," I said and melted away a hole for me to jump through. I saw Zach was off fighting half of them, but the other half was shooting at him. Mostly he was just dodging and blocking attacks from all around him.

'Candle, nice of you to show up. I didn't see you come down the stairs,' Zach said in my head. I guess all the fire was cutting off his air force, it was the same for me. I was used to the less air up here in the mountains, but even less can have a bigger effect.

'Yeah well I guess the lesson of air is getting to you. Maybe even more to the other ones. They don't seem to be having a picnic either. I don't think being higher in this school is going to help,' whispered in my mind. Every message we got was sorta like in the back of our heads. Though we can hear it clearly.

'Well we do have an advantage, we have almost been here for half of the year,' I agreed with him as he said it. I was dodging one of the attacks from a fire bender. All of them this time were firebenders. I was cool with that, I was able to blow away their flames with air, but like I said the fire that they created was sucking the air around Zach and me. The water was working the best, but unlike Mara I hadn't been training with Angel for half a year.

It was starting to get really hot and the ice wall I had made was half melted. Mainly because I need to use the water, but the water fountain down the hall had also proven as a source. Gabe was fully seen, he was blocking some firebenders from getting inside the room. Either that or they really wanted to be near Gabe to kill him. Every once and a while I would shoot some ice off the floor and stick them to the walls. That gave Gabe sometime to breath.

He would shoot thankful glances at that time but the firebenders would soon melt their way out of that trap. I didn't like how this was going to end. We would destroy half of the first floor before we could finish and get rid of these guys.

"Zach we need to finish this soon before we burn down another school," I yelled at him.

"I don't want to imagine the cost of getting that fixed," Gabe sighed while he blocked a small fire ball.

"No kidding. We don't exactly have any money," Zach said. I put a wall of air up before a slightly smaller wall of fire came towards him.

"Thanks," he quickly said and then went back to the battle. We hadn't heard anything from the others. I expected that they are too engaged with their own battles to let us know that they were OK.

By now I am covered in cut and bruises. I didn't want to see Irene's face when we came home. I also hopped that Dylan and them were doing fine. I knew they could bend and all, but if the same of what has happened to me, Zach, and Gabe. All the cuts and everything. I didn't want to see them in the hospital because of us. I didn't want someone to die because of us. I didn't want someone to get hurt because I came here and those people and that darkness. Whatever it is, is coming after us.

I saw that some of the benders were trying to escape now, most were limping. I snickered a how they trying to break through the layers of concert to the outside world. Then a hole blew and they were gone. I breath a sigh, the hole was big enough so they could slip out and not get hurt. But the school was different, the walls were torn and the lockers mangled.

I dropped to the floor, breathing heavily. Zach looked like he could sleep for weeks, bags hung under his eyes and he was cut all over his body. I couldn't say I looked much better. From what I could see, is that my uniform was all cut up, and my hair had some dirt and maybe some blood in it. Gabe was on the floor too, he was just able to support himself because he had his sword. I slowly walked over to the door and looked at the students.

Some of them were crying, but with no sound. All of their eyes were filled with a fear that was like wonder. The teacher was sitting in front of them with her arms held out.

"You don't need to anymore. I am Candle, we three are good guys. Sorry this happened, this was sorta like what happened at our last school. Except we burnt it down, though it wasn't in our intentions. It just sorta happened because the men and women we fought were firebenders. There also so were some earth and water, but mostly fire," I smiled, closed my eyes, and rubbed the back of my head. I had my broken water bottle in hand. Gabe and Zach had slowly made their in too. I put my hand down on the table, my ankle was throbbing a lot and some blood was slowly coming out of my mouth.

It was like all the pain was coming back to me. My arms were tired and heavy, and my legs felt like they had been cut open. I looked down and saw that my left leg been cut, and my right ankle was swollen.

"Oh great, Irene is going to kill me," I said looking at my leg.

"You are hurt, do you want me to help some of your minor cuts?" the women asked, she had put her hands down and the students all had calm expressions on. THere was still a hint of surprise in some of them. She stood up and help the tree of us on to the tables. She went into the back of her room and opened a door.

Then she came back out with a box and handed it one of the boys.

"Soska I want you to help with the two boys. I will help the girl. You too Max, and Haley come with me," she said and helped me off the table into the closet. It was bigger on the inside. I had a little doctor who moment in my head, but thinking hurt so I pushed it away for the time being.

she set up a small table only enough for me to sit on.

"Candle, I need you to take off your sweater vest," she said. Under that was just a plain white shirt, well you could say that this morning. Some of the blood that had drained out of my mouth had gotten through the sweater vest and onto the shirt. I knew I could wash it out soon. I liked the shirt.

"Sorry we made this happen. I didn't expect them to find us that quick," I sighed as she started to put band aids on small cuts and scratches.

"It's fine dear. You saved us from whatever came, but I must ask. Irene, is she your mother?" she asked. I had a small tug in my throat.

"No... she is the wife of Alex's, our airbender, mom's friend. We were told by my mom to go meet him at the airport after we arrived here. But I have no idea where she is, she said she was leaving and, but didn't say where," I sighed.

"I am sorry Candle, but wherever she is I am sure she is safe. Even if she might be a half world away," The women said with faithful eyes. The girl Haley was working on patching up my legs.

"Candle, what were those people?" she asked.

"Well, we don't really know. I mean we do know that it is this guy, and he is after out power. What he wants is what we have, he laid war on the land that we in years after the great war that lasted 100 years. The firebenders were trying to take hold of the land. But even after that was over year passed and a new threat came, about 190 years had passed before this war. A man who craved power that we posed tried to get it," I explained.

"Why would he raged an all out war?" she asked.

"Well you see, normal humans like you and your friends here at school can't contain the power of bending. Even we have our limitations, if we bend way to much then we can kill ourselves. But for me the Avatar, I can last much longer. Though my power is way different from a normal bender. You see I can bend all four elements. Fire, Air, Water, and Earth."

"Candle, if we normal humans can't bend them what about your friend. Gabe," the teacher asked.

"Well for him, it's sorta different. Gabe is called a swords master, he can't bend but he can do other things. Like how he is naturally good with a sword, he knows that sword that he has inside out. Just by one look at it, I would like to see someone who has never seen a real sword in his/her life know that," I laughed a little at that thought.

I looked at my self. My right arm had a wrapped bandage from shoulder down halfway to my elbow. My left arm was covered in small bandages. My right leg had an ice pack on it and my left was also covered in wrapped bandage. The blood was starting to show through.

I started to get up.

"Candle, no. You aren't mentally or physically ready to get up," Haley warned as I started to push a little. I tasted a iron taste and then saw blood start to trickle out of my mouth again.

"Um, well I guess you're right. But I need to get up and check on Gabe and Zach," I said. I pushed myself up and coughed some blood.

"Oh, um that doesn't look good," I whispered, but limped forward. That lice pack had been wrapped tight against my ankle but it still felt as if it could melt ice. I t was on fire, and made me sweat, plus all the moving. I reached the door and opened it. Gabe and Zach sat on the table, like we had left them, with bandages on and talking to the boys that had help them.

"Candle you're looking slightly better than before," Gabe said looking up and smiling.

"Yeah, a little. Except for the blood coming out of my mouth," I said trying to wipe it away. But as soon as I did it came back.

"Oh, well that might not be as good," Gabe looked at me concerned.

"Don't worry, we need to find the others," as I said that Mara and Sapphire came running in. They we in the same shape that we were in, except that they had managed to run.

"Candle, You have blood coming out of your mouth. If you haven't noticed," Sapphire said as she leaned on her knees and breath heavily. Then she started to cough some blood too. I noticed a gash in her right side.

"I don't know if you have noticed that blood is also coming out of You mouth and that you have a gash too," I said laughing as she did.

"Yeah, well I saw that coming, but Mara is too tired to perform the healing water thing," she looked at Mara leaning against the doorway. Not making trying to move.

"I see, come on. Helay and the teacher can help you," I explained as I got her under my arms and Haley did the same for Mara. They walked behind into the back room.


	8. Chapter 8

Thea's POV.

The crowd screamed for my Dad and Hiccup.

"Alright!"Dad yelled over the crowd to start his speech,"Now I can show my face inn public again," my Dad joked and I laughed. Me, Hiccup, and Astrid were down with Hiccup to help him prepare. All Hiccup had brought from home was his helmet. I had told him the prophecy about us. He seemed shocked about it and then he started to wrap his his around the idea. I had also told him about how Gothi had stuttered at the last part. We stayed in silence for awhile and then I thought about GreyStream.

'GreyStream!' I called in my head.

'Yes, I'm here,' she called back.

'something is going to happen today. I can feel it,' i said to her.

'I can feel it to,'

'What ever you hear or what ever Toothless says to you do not come out of the Cove. OK?'I asked.

'I promise,' and then I cut off the connection.

"Astrid," I heard Hiccup say," whatever happens make sure that they don't find Toothless," he turned to me," you to Thea."

"We will," Astrid said for me, I was about to cry because I was hoping Hiccup wouldn't die. The part Gothi stuttered about, I knew it had something about something bad happening. I knew it would happen to one of us.

"Just promise us that it won't go wrong,"Astrid said in a small voice.

"I promise," he told Astrid.

"And Thea I -," I cut him off.

"Don't promise me that. OK?" I hugged him and let a tear fall. Then Gobber came up.

"It's time Hiccup. Knock 'em dead," Gobber said jestering Hiccup out. I watched him put on his helmet and walk out. The crowd got loud by the second and I let more tears come out, until it was cry with Astrid trying to comfort me. I cried in her arms like I was her younger sister.

Then I heard Astrid tell me to look up. I did. Hiccup was right there in the middle of the arena with his hand extended out to the Monstrous Nightmare.

"Hiccup," I whispered.

"Hey it's OK," I heard Hiccup say to the Nightmare.

"I said STOP THE FIGHT!" Dad yelled and the Nightmare went after Hiccup.

"HICCUP!" Astrid yelled and opened a small hole under the gate I climbed through first and bent fire between the dragon and Hiccup to stop the Nightmare from eating Hiccup. People gasped and then the smoke cleared and I had a shield in front of the dragon and Hiccup.

"STOP!" I yelled more people gasped as they realized that I was the one who created the shields. Time slowed down and I lost control to the shields and the dragon went after Hiccup again. I tried again, Astrid had thrown a hammer at the dragon and it was chasing her now. I tried to stop it but I couldn't.

Then Dad opened the gate and grabbed me back.

"This way!" he yelled and time sped up again. Astrid ran in, but the Nightmare stopped hiccup by throwing molten lava in front of. I ran up to and bent it of the walled and threw it at the dragon. Again people gasped but I ignored them. Then Hiccup was caught under the dragon's claws.

Then out of no where I heard a night fury scream. Toothless blow a hole in the top of the roof and flew in. He attacked the Nightmare and pushed him off of Hiccup. When the smoke cleared Toothless was fight to keep the Nightmare of of Hiccup.

That's when things started to go bad. The Nightmare ran off and Hiccup ran up to Toothless and tried to push him away. Toothless wouldn't listen. Dad grabbed a hammer and went after Toothless. Soon Dad was pushed to the ground. Toothless got in a firing position and Hiccup yelled. He hesitated and then was taken down by other Vikings. Dad got back up.

"Put 'em with the other," Dad said pushing a sword away.

"You're coming with me. Both of you!" I could see that Dad had as much rage as he did when Hiccup shot down the Night Fury. I was so glad GreyStream wasn't here.

We walk up to the great hall and he pushed open the door with so much force it slammed on the wall.

"I should have know, I should have seen the signs," he was sooo angry. I knew we might not see sunlight for about, oh give or say, never in the rest of our life.

"And you. How did you make fire and blue things," he said as the door shot and it became dark. I took a chance and made a star.

"Ah! What is that?" he yelled.

"A star," I answered calmly. He looked at me in total horror and then started to yell at Hiccup.

"We had a deal!" he scream at Hiccup.

"I know, but that was before-. Oh it's so messed up," Hiccup said running his hands in his hair. I knew he would be dead if Dad ever forgave him.

"Just take this out, punish me. Just don't hurt Toothless," Hiccup pleaded and I just stood there and watched as Dad released his rage

"THE DRAGON! That's what you're worried about. Not the people you almost killed!" he roared.

"He's not dangerous, he was just protecting me, he-he's not dangerous," Hiccup trying to convince Dad. I had light a couple of the coals in the fire pit to play with and keep me warm while they had their cold war.

"They killed hundreds of us," Dad yelled louder.

"And we've killed thousands of them. They protect themselves that's all," Dad paced around all angry," There's something else on their island, it's a dragon-," Dad cut him off and I looked up.

"Their island!" Dad exclaimed, them started to get quieter," so you've been to the nest?"

"Did I say nest," Hiccup shuddered and I started to walk over.

"Where did you find it," Dad jumped up to him. Then I stepped in front of him.

"He didn't, Toothless did. Only a dragon can find it," I said, putting my arms up to block Hiccup from Dad jumping on him. But instead he stood up and whispered.

"Yes,"

"No, no. Dad you don't want to. There is a dragon on the island. A dragon like never before," I tried running after him. He shoved me back and I landed on Hiccup, pushing us both to the ground.

"You're not Vikings, you're not me children," he said and as I was getting up I was pushed to the ground by a force. A force of pain.

Dad walked out and slammed the door, but it swung open again. I heard him yell:

"Ready the ships!"

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hiccup stood on the board walks while I sat on the edge with my legs swing off. We watched as the weapons were loaded on, and then as the last thing Toothless was loaded on. We watched as they put things on him to prevent him from breathing fire or flying away.

I looked over at Hiccup and saw that he was hurt. Dad looked up at us and then turned like we were nothing. He yelled an order and then said something to Toothless and they sailed off. We sat there for a while and watched the ships fade in the horizon

'Hiccup what are you going to do?' I asked in his head, breaking the silence.

'N-nothing,' he stuttered.

'What do you mean! Your the man with the plan. Oh my Gods Hiccup, you're the lord of plans!' I screamed in his head.

'I just can't do anything this time,' He looked away.

'I wish there were some more dragons,' I said.

"Wait what did you think?" but Astrid came up. We all stood there for a couple moments and then she spoke up.

"It's all a mess. You guys must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend," she said staring at the ocean.

"Thanks Astrid that helps. That really sums it up," I said.

"Why couldn't we have just killed the dragons when we found them in the woods. I would've been better for everyone," Hiccup said still looking at the ocean.

"Yep the rest of us would've made it, so why didn't you two?" she asked and looked at us. We both stayed quite. That question ringed in my head.

'Why didn't you? Why didn't you?' it ringed I couldn't help it. I had to send my anger some where, so I did. I shot the biggest ball of fire I could make and I watched fly off to the horizon.

I looked back at them and they were both wide-eyed and I just sat there shooting fire at one of the torches and watched it burn.

"Why didn't you?" Astrid finally said.

"I just don't just, we couldn't," Hiccup and I said at the same time.

"That's not an answer," she said.

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden!" Hiccup yelled.

"because I want to remember what you said right now," she had a stern look on her.

"Oh for the lovied. We were a coward, we were weak, we wouldn't kill a dragon!" I said now shooting frozen water a the tall men in the water.

"You said wouldn't that time," she pushed and now I was standing up.

"Whatever, we wouldn't. Three hundred years and were the first vikings who wouldn't kill a dragon!" Hiccup yelled.

"First to ride one though," she said not raising her voice. I stepped back thinking.

'We were the first ones to ride a dragon, and the first ones who lived to tell the tail of a night fury. We rewrote history,' I thought smiling.

"So...,"

"We wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as we were. Greystream looked calm, but when we looked at our dragons we saw ourselves. We can't just go around and kill ourselves," I said raising my hands in the air. I saw both of them smile at that remark.

"I bet he's really frightened now," she said and we all looked at the ocean.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked and I started to brighten up and smile.

"Eh... something stupid," he said a smile crawling at his lips.

"Good but you have already done that," she said smiling to.

"Then something crazy," I finished and started to run down the boardwalks.

"You thinking what I am thinking?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I can hear it, and I came up with it, sorta," I smiled and we ran for the arena.

"Go get the others," I told Astrid and she curved off into the village.


	9. Chapter 9

Candle's POV.

Gabe and I had fallen asleep on the deck and Sapphire found out there. I had gone bright red when I became un-zombified. I wasn't a morning person, so when I woke up I ended up throwing a couple balls at her. Each one hit her, but below her chest. It wasn't that I was mad it was just that she woke me up just after sunrise and like I said I love to sleep in. It takes forever to get me up in the mornings, Gabe practically had to drag me off the deck.

I was up in the room now, I was packing up what I had in my bag. I only had a few things.

All of my school books had been destroyed in the fight. I had only my tablet, phone, clothes, some notebooks, and a few books. Enough to carry all the way around the world. We were leaving at night to catch a plane ride to the Redwood Forest. We weren't going to learn waterbending, but continue on air. Rosemary was explaining that there is two types of air. Mountain air and Forest air, I didn't really understand what she meant.

We were being taken to the airport again, though we insisted that we would just ride on our bikes. Creg wouldn't agree, he said if something like the storm happened again and he wasn't there to help. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

It was about 12:00pm, and our flight was at 3:00pm. We wanted to get there early so we could get something to eat for the plane ride to California. We are taking the risk for staying there for an hour, fully exposing ourselves to any government people. I didn't want to find out how it would end if we were in a cell in Britain.

"Hey, Candle you almost done?" Gabe walked up next to me, I was putting my last book in my bag.

"Yeah, I am done," I sighed as I put my bag of my shoulder and turned around to him.

"I wish too, but we need to move before we hurt Creg's family," he said. I just looked at him and sighed. I walked over to the stairs and walked down. Gabe walked behind me.

Zach and Alex were playing a last game of Mario Kart with Dylan. Rosemary, Mara, Angel, and Sapphire. Creg was outside putting some gas in the car and Irene was cooking dinner, they were having stew so she was having to make it 6 hours ahead of time. I was a little jealous, I love stew.

"Candle, are you sure you want to leave?" Creg asked as he came in from the driveway. The driveway wasn't like usual ones, it's pathway was made out of pebbles and gravel.

"Yes, we don't want to cause you anymore trouble. Even if you offer stew. Which in my mind is hard to turn away," I laughed and he laughed along with me.

"I see there is no way we can change your mind. Ah well, I know what you are feeling right now and trust me. You are doing the right thing. Protecting the people you love," he put his hand on my shoulder and walked away.

I walked into the living and sat next down to Alex, Gabe went over to Creg to ask who knows what.

"You are lucky your mom made friends with him," I said.

"Yeah, we talk a lot about my mom and what she was like," he said as he took his final lap on Coconut Mall.

"I think when you guys finish this race we will leave," I said to him.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We don't want to be late for our flight or be here any longer to let the government know we're here," he said as he was pushed back to second," Hey, Dylan!"

I laughed under my breath and went to grab my bag.

"Hey Mara, Sapphire. We are about to leave," I said to them.

"Right now?" Sapphire asked.

"Yeah, sorry if I interrupted a conversation," I explained.

"No, no. We were just surprised at it right now. We thought we were leaving in about 10 minutes. Only just a time misunderstanding," Mara explained.

"OK. I'll meet you guys outside, they just finish their race," I pointed to Alex, Zach, and Dylan. They were putting up the Wii remotes and taking out the CD.

I walked over to the door leading out to the garage. It was down the hall that was by the stairs. The garage although, smelled like lots of oil and I always held my breath when I walked into it.

"Candle, before you walk come back inside. Creg wants to tell us something," Zach called to me. He was hanging out of the door.

"OK," I turned around and walked back inside, I silently let my breath back in.

"Candle, there you are," Creg said as he turned to me. Everyone was lined up at the doorway into that hall I was talking about," Irene, the kids, and I want to give each of you a gift for protecting our kids at the school and for, well, saving the world. At least when you come to that."

I opened my mouth slightly to say, we might say the world. But stopped, everyone was in a happy mode. I didn't want to ruin that.

"First for Sapphire, we give you a jar of Blue fire. The fire of the Blue Dragon. Lighting's fire. We hope that this will help in your studies to become a master Fire bender," he said, I saw Sam nod to Sapphire and she smiled back. The jar or really almost closed bowl was blue. Inside of it and slightly coming out was blue flames.

"Next is Mara, we give you the Book of Secrets," he gave her a very old book. She opened it to a random page.

"It's empty," she looked up at him. All he did was smile and walk away.

"Zach, this is space rock, it was given to Toph Bei fong by Sokka as a gift after sword training," he handed Zach a piece of rock. It was a black color. When Zach picked it up he laughed a little and started to mold it into different shapes and things.

I laughed a little too, and so did Dylan as he high-five him.

"Alex, you're mom wanted me to give you this when you were of age," he said as he handed Alex a necklace. It had wooden balls all round the rope that held it together. Then in the middle of the wooden balls was a circle of wood with three swirls on it, the circle was hanging of the wooden necklace. Hanging of the wooden circle was three strips of string. Alex held it in his hand, like he was trying to remember something.

Soon he gave up and said thank you in a quiet voice and backed next to Zach.

"Gabe, I made this in the forge down in the tunnels below our house," he handed Gabe a sword. It was simple really, though the end of the sword curved around like a butter knife. The part where you hold it was leather bond and had a sliver metal piece coming up like you were dripping it on to the top of it. Then leading up onto the sword was a golden line curving up slightly and thinning out and stopping in a circle.

"Wow," Gabe said looking at it, it took him about 15 seconds before he even started to reach ed grab it and even 5 seconds after hesitating to pick it up.

"Now, Candle. This is a violin that was carved by my great grandmother. She was a natural at playing that violin. I am passing it down to you, as a thank you gift," Irene said as she handed my the case. I almost didn't take it, but then I grabbed it. I knelt down and opened the case.

The violin was the color of a river blue, dark and flowing. The color started to get lighter as it went up to the pegbox and scroll. I smiled slightly, I wanted to pick it up and start to play it, but instead I closed the case.

"Thank you, I am sorry we can't stay longer," I said as I looked at everyone.

"We understand," Irene smiled.

"We will come back someday and see how these guys have grown," Sapphire laughed as she looked at Sam, even though he was the oldest Dylan was taller than him.

"We can't wait to see you next time," Rosemary said as she turned to me and smiled. She put her finger on her chest and went down to her stomach, then she went up to her arm. The three symbols of air, your spirit, your core, and your flow of your blood. Then she turned to Alex and did the same thing. He answered and the same gesture.

"Well we should get going," Creg said as he grabbed his keys.

"Yeah, we can't waste any more time," Alex said looking at his watch. We all laughed and I rolled my eyes.

We walked outside to the car and got in. Just like the day we arrived it was gloomy like it was going to rain. About an hour down the road it did, but it wasn't like that rain we met when we came. Made by waterbenders on his side. No it was a rain saying goodbye.


	10. Chapter 10

Candle's POV.

"Flight 237 now boarding," said the intercom. It had been coming on and off every 5 minutes. For an hour I have been sitting here in this uncomfortable airport chair. Longest hour of my life.

"That's us," Mara said getting up to stretch.

"Finally, it has been hours since we got here," Sapphire complained.

"Well it's has only been a hour," Alex said as he unplugged his phone charger. I did the same. I was charging my tablet and phone.

"Where are our tickets?" Zach asked.

"I have them right here," Gabe said holding up a handful of tickets.

"Great, lets go. I don't want to be here any longer," I said grabbing mine and putting my charger in my bag. Then I took it and put it on my back. I grabbed my violin before I forgot about it. It was amazing how we could keep our gifts without be asked questions.

We all walked over to the door leading to the plane. Some women stood at the door checking tickets. Soon they checked ours and we were finding our seats.

"I hope this plane can get off the ground quickly, I am sick of waiting for planes to take off," I commented as I looked out the window. We were all in different seats all over the plane this time. I sat next to some man who was reading a book.

"What did you say?" asked the man. He wore glasses and a short sleeved shirt with a sweater vest on top. He had short hair but enough to cover his ears. Sorta like Gabe. His hair was colored black though.

"Oh, sorry. I was just saying that I hate how it takes like a half an hour to get the plane off the ground," I said as I turned around.

"Oh, yes. They do take forever don't they. That's why I take a book, it always is faster that way," he smiled and turned back to his book. We had a seat in the middle of us so I could still have my own window. Though I would have preferred a seat on the outside.

Then the plane started to move, the rhythm of the plane was soothing. Though like I had wished the plane took off in about 5 minutes. My knuckles were white and I gripped the seat tightly. Though the man didn't seem to notice.

'Oh my god. This is the worst part,' I said to myself as I closed my eyes.

'''''''''''''''''''

"Hey, excuse me, but we have landed," I felt a soft nudge on my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly. The same man sat next to me. I saw that we had landed and were moving to the gate.

"Oh, thanks. I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep. Sorry that you had to wake me up," I said to him. I leaned down I get my bag, my violin was in the overhead compartment.

"No, no. I wouldn't want you to get caught on this flight again," he smiled as he closed his book. The plane stopped and we were all allowed to get our bags again.

'Hey guys lets meet just outside at the baggage claim. Is that ok?" Sapphire's voice rang through my head. She was a little too loud, I couldn't hear my thoughts. I clutched my head in pain.

"Next time... don't be so painful," Zach's voice was quieter and sounded like he was also in pain.

I decided I would be one of the last few people off the plane. I was in the back where few people where. I knew the others would get off at first sight that they could. We wouldn't need to get anything from baggage claim. We all had our gifts in special bags that were in the overhead compartments.

"Well I hope we meet again, green haired girl," he said as he waved and walked down the aisle.

"You to glass dude," I called back.

"By the way, I like your glasses too," he added and then he walked down the last stretch and left the plane. I reached up and realized that in fact I did have my glasses on. I remembered that Gabe had put them on me last night.

The last few people were still on plane. I reached up and grabbed my violin and walked out. I had to find the way to the baggage claim. That wouldn't be too hard. This airport was like the one in Georgia that I had seen so many times before.

I took my time, but I got to the baggage claim faster than I would have if I didn't know this airport.

Sapphire, Mara, Alex, and Gabe were all there. They seemed to be talking, but were waiting for me and Zach.

"Hey Candle, we were waiting for you. Surprising that Zach is not here though," Alex said as he thought about Zach.

"Yeah, I am sure he stopped at some food place and order something," I laughed as I thought about him with a bag of food and a drink. He better be lucky that rock that he had, he could mold into the something that could be on his wrist.

"Here I am," he called out to us, I turned around and did see him with a bag.

"We thought you had gone off and gotten yourself something to eat. You know riding your bike will be harder while trying to eat something," Mara said.

"Well, think again. I got us all some drinks. That airline was one that didn't serve one. The whole 6 hours while we were up in the air. I mean what the heck," he said as he put his bag down on the bench that the others had been sitting on and around.

"Awesome," I said as he handed me a bottle of lemonade.

"I just assumed on everyone really. Sorry," he said as he handed out the rest.

"Well you assumed right. I love Cream Soda," Mara said as she opened the bottle," we better be lucky we have bags. I would be a horror to ride and hold a bottle."

"Yeah no kidding I wouldn't want Zach to fall off the rode," Gabe joked.

"Hey, I could hold a bottle of water and still ride a bike!" he said as he threw his hands back, the bottle going with it. It flew out of his hand and onto the floor.

"I see," I Gabe said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Zach said slightly annoyed.

"Here," Mara said as she waved her hands in a rhythm beat. The water flew up into the bottle. I looked around, not that we didn't want people to see. People will know we are back, but the government. No people looked like they were in suits.

"We should probably leave," I said and looked at them. They nodded and took out their bikes and other things.

We walked outside. Creg said that the family we were meeting were my grandparents on my Dad's side. I had never met my dad. He had left for the military and hadn't come back. Mom had said that he had stayed with his parents in case he was called back. Which he was every once and a while.

He gave us directions in a piece of paper. It had a map and directions, it was Google maps and not Apple. I didn't know why that mattered. Alex explained it to me. though. We had gotten on our bikes and started to ride off. Though in the distance we could hear police cars. And as we left and got onto the highway I say about five police cars turn into the exit right across the highway.

'Wow, that was close,' Zach said as he rode up next to me.

'Yeah no kidding. Luckily you said we should leave. They would have come in and found us right away,' Mara said.

'Yeah no kidding. We need to take this exit,' I said in my head as I turned right. The next few hours were long and tiring. No one really talked, I guess because we didn't have anything to talk about. The sky was semi clear. Lots of clouds were in the sky, but no sign of rain like last time.

My dad had lived in a house in one of the thinner but still thick part of the forest. I found that nice, it would make sure no one saw me practicing. I hoped that I my dad just liked me and my new found friends. And Gabe, that would be bad if he like embarrassed me or something.

The house I have never seen. But it was where I would probably be coming back too, we saw on the news one day that the house that I had lived in had been burned down. I wasn't to happy about that, one I had grown up there and two my laptop was in there.

We were now in a town part if the state. I had no idea where though, I had just followed the directions. Then the landscape started to get more, well forest. There were trees everywhere. The only problem was all of the roads were harder to find the turn offs that we needed. Every time we missed a turned until we got to the park.

It was huge, well everyone knows that, but I mean the trees were huge they went up way above the highest building we can find. They were red and beautiful, I had my mouth open when I looked up.

We found the check in and put our bikes on the walls. It was a pretty modern building, shaped like a rectangle. There were doors in the right corner from what you could see when you looked at it straight. Glass was all around the front side.

"So how are you going to say, hey I am the daughter of a dad I never knew and he never knew me?" Gabe asked.

"Um, well I never really thought about that," I looked sheepishly at him.

"What?!" he half yelled.

"Yep, we have never met and I had other things on my mind," I looked at the ground.

"Yeah, I figured that out," he said through a face palm. I grinned slightly and laughed under my breath. We walked inside. The inside, I gotta say, was duller than outside. It was decorated with a pretty grey wall. There were no posters, but only a woman and a desk.

'Man, who did she screw up enough to land a job here?' I thought.

'Yeah I mean. The only thing worse would be the men who hung out on the mountains in Hobbit and Lord of the Rings,' Zach said laughing in his bed.

"Um hi, I am Candle. Also the daughter of Mr. Apple. Though I have never met him, and he has never met me. Can you tell I am here?" I asked to here and the heard a smack in the background. Gabe must have face palmed again. I mentally smacked myself in the face after I said that.

"Um- hmm. I will call him and let you know he is here," she said and then picked up a phone. She pointed to the small sitting area. There were three seats and 6 of us. I sighed and walked over to the chairs. I sat on the floor by a seat. Gabe although sat in the chair I was sitting bye.

"She sounds exactly like the women we met at the school," Mara said, looking over at the women. The sitting area was behind a wall. They some how made it two rooms. Sad I would say.

"Yeah, I know a voice, or well a dull voice anywhere," I said remembering how that woman was dull and lifeless. We sat there for about 30 seconds until Alex spoke up.

"Do you think that they could related?" he asked.

"What?" Sapphire asked, but I thought it was a good idea.

"Well there was a woman who was dull and lifeless at the school. And then it got burned down the same day. There is a dull women here, so what will happen?" he explained. My heart rate got faster. What could happen to my Dad. He could get hurt. And those grandparents I had never met.

I groaned under presser.

"You OK?" Gabe asked.

"No," I said with my face stuffed in my legs. They were pulled up to my stomach.

"Why...?" Alex asked, his voice sounded uneasy.

"If we set this prehistoric forest on fire what would we do?" I asked, not looking for an answer.

"Excuse me, but Mr. Apple has confirmed that you are his daughter. He says to come to his house. Right now he is trimming some bushes only a 30 minute walk away from his house. He will be back by the time you get there," she said summoning us out.

"Thanks, by the way where is the house?" Mara asked.

"Down the main pathway and them off a side-road. There will be a gate, just crawl under it," she said in the same dull voice as before.

We walked outside and got back on our bikes, scooters, and skateboards. The main road was just 1 minute from where we were. We were on it soon and riding quickly down it. It took us about 20 minutes to find the side road with a gate on it. Slowly and silently we slipped under before some person walking around could see.

Then we saw a small house down the road.

"Hey Candle, I think that might be the house," Alex called up.

"Great. I am tired," I yelled back. The house was down a hill slightly and looked to only be one floor. We slowly stopped as we came down the driveway. I breathed in deeply, I had no idea what my dad looked like.

I slowly walked over to the door and knocked


	11. Chapter 11

Candles POV.

I knocked on the door, it was inside a small overhand. Sideways on the long rectangular house. The door had two parts, a screen and the wooden door part. Like the women said it looked like it was one floor. I have never lived in a one floor house, that made slightly wary.

Then I heard an unlock at the door. The wooden door opened and I looked at my friends with a wary face. I felt a bit of nervousness in my stomach, and I couldn't get rid of it. Then the screen door creaked open. There stood a woman who looked young for her age. Or at least I thought so, I didn't know how old she was.

She black hair that was starting to whiten at the very front. She had grey glasses on and her eyes were a dark chocolate color.

"Candle!" she exclaimed and hugged me. I was too shocked to hug back, I didn't even know her," I haven't seen you since you were a small babe. You have grown so much!" she said as she let me go.

"Come in, and your friends. I can't wait to meet them all. We have enough rooms for all of you and dinner will be one the table in a half an hour," she said as she stepped aside. Once I heard dinner and smelled food I remembered how hungry I was. It had seemed like forever since we had last eaten. I saw that the sun was down and stars were starting to shine between the small openings in the trees. So was the moon.

I walked in. The first thing I saw was a small kitchen. On the left was an oven sitting on a wooden shelf, just razed by a foot. Then above it was a 3 inch thick piece of wood and stacks of plates and other dishes. Right next to it was where the counter started was sink, it was the only thing that looked like the only thing that happened to be updated. On the other side was the stove and the rest of the counter.

Then in a small corner at the back of it was a table that sat four. Then behind it was a small shelf that you could see through. It held lots of random things, like keys and money. Some pen holders. Then behind that was the dining room. And off to the right of the room was a door. I was surprised to find out that it lead down to the basement. It had two floors in my mind now. Then out of the dining room was the living room, which also to my surprise had a stairway leading up to rooms. But I felt like I knew this whole house. I had known that there were floors.

Then I remembered that had dreamed about this house one time. There was the same fire place that you could see straight down when you entered. The rooms all looked the same, except for the bedspreads.

"The room you girls will be sharing will be this one," my grandmother said as she showed us the room," this was your bed, Candle. When you were 3 you wanted the bed by the window. Nothing to do with the bunk be behind you. I used to come in and see you staring out at the stars."

I smiled, and I felt my face getting hot. I had no idea I had been here before, and I didn't want my friends to know what I would do at night when I was three.

"That sounds like you Candle," Zach said and I turned around and saw he was laughing under his breath. I flicked some air at him while no one was watching, he started to blame Alex.

Mara, Sapphire, and I put our stuff in our room. They were happy to let me have my bed, and sleep on the bunk-bed. I was cool with that, I was hoping that they would say that. My Grammy, which she told me I could call her, said that dinner would be ready soon and that we had time to get washed up and change.

I was thankful, even though we were in a dry warm house, we were still drenched to the bone. There were three bath rooms. So Alex and Sapphire took each one. Sapphire took the one upstairs and Alex went to the one down stairs in the basement. I had changed into a blue plaid button down shirt. It was the only one that was semi dry, and I was glad it happened to be my favorite shirt. I liked button down shirts. They seemed more free to me. I had also put on a very free pair of jeans. I liked the jeggings, but right now I didn't want that.

I walked down stairs into the kitchen. I saw someone, I barely recognized, he had black hair and dark chocolate eyes. He had on black glasses and also had on a plaid button down shirt. Except it was green, red, and a small it of black. I had was talking to Grammy and I think the other man was my grampa. He also had black hair, but he had slightly lighter eyes.

I kept walking through, my steppes small. They were light like always, so I didn't make a sound.

"Hey, Candle," Grammy said with a happy voice as she looked up from cutting up some chicken. The two men turned and looked at me. Grandpa looked happy, but Dad looked stunned.

"H-hi," I stuttered.

"Hey cookie, haven't seen you in forever. What was it like, you were three when we last saw you. Then your dad went to the army, came back and help two jobs. A rocket scientist and a groundskeeper here," he said as he hugged me. I looked up at him, like Grammy he had a bug smile and looked like he enjoyed everything.

He let go and turned me to my dad. He got up out his chair and walked over to where I was.

"Candle? How old are you now?" he asked.

"Um..., thanks for the hello. I am 14," I said.

"It has been that long!" he exclaimed, as he sat down again and picked up his mug of coffee.

"Um, so. How long has it been?" I asked. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"11 years since I have last seen you. Where is your mother?" he asked. I felt my heart crush a little. I didn't know how to tell him that she had been taken.

"Oh, um...," I trailed off looked at Grammy. Then Gabe walked in.

"Your mom?" he asked.

"Yeah, um Dad. Just asked where she was," I explained. I saw him bite his lip.

"Candle?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Mom was kidnapped by the British government. Because, um well you see...," I trailed off for the second time.

"Why, she didn't do anything. Clara would never," he said, a look of worry spread across his face. I felt my face get hot and my nose get tingly. Those were the first two signs I got before I cried.

"I can't explained it until everyone is here," I whispered and turned Gabe. I felt a tear fall down, and I hugged him.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''

An hour had passed, I was in my room now. Everyone else was in there as well. Even my dad, grammy, and grandpa.

"So, Candle. What happened to Clara?" Grandpa asked.

"About half a year ago, I met my friends here. Except for Gabe, I have known him since 6th grade. I asked if they would like to come home with me, so we could talk about what had happened that day. On our hands were burned the 4 elements and one sword. Each of us help one sign. Except for me I held all 5. Water, Air, Fire, Earth, and sword fighting," as I said this we each held up our hands.

"Mom called the others parents. Then she called us down when they had all come. She explained. That we were, um..., you see. There are these old legends about the world before ours. How they had benders, of the elements. She said we were descendants of the most powerful ones that ever lived. Avatar Aang was the last Airbender that lived in his time and the only one who control all four elements. Katara was the most powerful water bender that lived. Toph was the most powerful Earthbender that ever lived. Zuko was the most powerful Firebender that ever lived. Sokka was the best swordsman who ever lived.

"I was told to travel the world to try to stop this "Darkness", as we call it. He has come back to life, I guess you could say. He is still sleeping, he can only take over the minds of his allies. I have a year and a half to master all the elements and sword to defeat him. I came here to learn the other half of Airbending. Forest, Mountain was what I had learned back in YellowStone," I finished.

"I see, so you did inherit that," Dad said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You see, we are all benders too. Firebenders," he said and then Grammy, Grandpa, and Dad all moved there hands in a rhymed movement. Then fire started coming, they moved it in circles and around the world. I stared wide-eyed. I didn't know what to say, I was surprised that I never knew this. That my mother never told me this.

I guess that was why I never really saw my father, but I didn't know why she would keep me away from something that could have helped me in so many ways. This traveling the world for bending thing would have been so much easier if she didn't keep me away.

"I don't understand why mom didn't let me see you often," I said.

"That is something I can not answer. She was always thinking for the best of our family though," he smiled.

"Now, time for dinner. I am glad I kept it hot in the oven," Grammy said and then walked down stairs.

We followed her down, the last ones to leave were me and Dad.

"You wear glasses?" he asked.

"Yeah, only since last year in 7th grade. But I think it gets worse every month, I have to wear these all the time," I said as I pointed to them. He smiled and laughed.

"I had glasses when I was really young, my eyesight is pretty bad. I can't see anything when I have them off, you should have seen me when we figured out I needed glasses. I was stumbling over everything. Broke my ankle once when I took them off, then I had to go out of my room for some water. Feel down the stairs," he explained as we walked out. I laughed a little and then almost stumbled down the stairs.

"I told you," he laughed as we walked into a very loud happy room. The moon hung over the house and every light was on, on the main floor. My friends were talking and getting food all over the place. They seemed to be having the time of their. I only hoped it would be like that for this trip.


	12. Chapter 12

Candle's POV.

"We need you to come with us," was what the man in the middle said. He had on thick black glasses and a black suit. All of them had wires coming from behind their ears that connected to headphones in their left ear.

We stared at them like they were crazy, I wasn't sure if we should trust them. They looked like Americans.

"Who are you," Mara asked.

"We wish to be un-named for this moment, we need you to come with us. We wish you no harm, we were just ordered to pick you up," the man in the middle said again. I looked at my friends, then my Grammy.

They were waiting for me to say something. I didn't know what to do.

'Candle it is up to you,' Zach whispered in my head.

'We will go with you no matter what,' Mara smiled, and the others nodded.

"We will come with you," I said to the men, they looked at each other and nodded.

"We will be leaving in ten minutes, pack your things," The man on the left said, then they turned and walked out of the room. Grammy went to go show them out.

"Candle, where do you think we are going?" Gabe asked.

"I don't know, I just hope I made the right choice," I said and looked out the window.

Grammy had just closed the door and you could see the car being lit up.

"We should go pack," Sapphire said and we walked up stairs. I felt a little uneasy, and stumbled on my way up the stairs and almost knocked Zach and sapphire down the stairs with me.

"Sorry...," I said sheepishly. They smiled and laughed, it brightened up my mood. I smiled back and walked the rest of the way up the stairs.

Mara was already half way done with packing. We didn't have much anyway. She had her clothes in her back-pack. Her phone was on its charger. She had gotten a new case when we were in Yellowstone. It was a turquoise blue and had what looked like sound bars on the back.

I started to fold my clothes, before the talent show I had plugged up my phone and tablet. They sat on the vanity, it had a vase of flowers on the right side and a picture of my Aunt Rose on the left. It had an old digital clock in the middle. The vanity was made out of oak wood that was painted white. The paint was also coming off, giving it a very old feeling.

Dad had given me an old violin book that my aunt had used when she tried to learn violin. I put it in my bag, then I put my note book by it and lastly I put my tablet with the charger still in the small slot. I placed my phone in my back pocket and put my bag on. Mara had already walked out and Sapphire was grabbing her bowl of blue fire.

I walked out and met with everyone else down stairs. Alex had his bag slung over his left shoulder. Zach and Gabe both had backpacks, like Mara. Sapphire had a strapped bag like me. They were all talking and waiting for us.

"Come on, before they start to wonder where we have been," Mara said. She was starting for the dining room. The house was like a giant line. The Kitchen, the dining room, and the living room. Off the living room up some stairs was the bedrooms and the up floor bathroom.

Once we got outside one of the men came out to open the door. It was a longer car than what I saw from the window. It was a limousine, he took our bags and put them in the back. We crawled inside, it was simple. There were tan seats, the soft leather and a small mini fridge in one corner.

"Whoa," Zach said. He was the last one in. The seats curved around the car in a rectangle. I was at one of the corners.

"Where are we going?" Sapphire asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like these people are pretty high up in authority," Mara said looking out the window. My Grammy stood there waving good-bye. We all stayed in silence for awhile. Nothing really happened.

"Hey, Mr. Driver. Um how long is it going to take us to get there?" Alex asked.

"About 7 more hours," he said. We were all in shock.

"Oh God, where are we even going?" I asked my self, I looked at the floor of the car. Did I make the wrong choice. What if this man was leading us to the some airplane to take us to London.

I must have fell asleep because the next thing I knew I was being called.

"Hey Candle are you going to wake up?" I opened my eyes and saw daylight streaming in the windows. I looked up and saw Zach shaking me very violently. I drew back my arm and threw some air at him. He flew back into his seat by Sapphire.

"I am not a morning person," I said with a grudge in my voice.

"What are you talking about it's like 11:00. It's noon," he said. I shot up, and grabbed my phone out of my back pocket. It read 11:09.

"I was a sleep till 11!" I yelled.

"Well yea, you fell asleep around 1. We all fell asleep, but woke up a lot earlier," Zach explained as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up earlier!" I yelled at him.

"Because we knew this would happen, just a million times worse," Gabe laughed, I looked at him and saw slight bags under his eyes.

"Why did you guys wake up so early then?" I asked.

"The men stopped for some breakfast on the way. We left in here so you could sleep," Sapphire explained, I looked down and sighed. I was hungry.

"We saved you some food," Mara said holding up a box.

"What's in it?" I asked, taking it from her.

"We have some biscuits and half of a chocolate chip waffle," she said, I opened it up and saw a huge half of a Belem waffle and two biscuits. I smiled and took out a biscuit. It was like one of those that are soft and fluffy.

"The driver said that we would be arriving in 2 hours," Alex said.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We don't know, there is sun streaming through the windows, but it is hard to make out anything," Gabe said, as he looked out the window behind him. I turned to my left and saw very blurry figures that we were passing, but nothing seemed together or recognizable.

"humph," I sighed. We started to talk about random things, nothing really followed a topic for more than 8 minutes. We told some stories, and then talked about something we had heard about or seen in a movie. We talked until we slowed down to a stop. The door opened and we felt the warm air of the outside. It wasn't as warm as it had been in California, but it felt like to be in it's lower 70's

"Where are we?" Sapphire asked. There was a huge white building in front of us. There was a water fountain going on behind us.

"You have got to be kidding me," Zach said.

"Are we really at the-," Gabe started.

"The White House," I finished. All of us stared as the building with our mouths open.

"Come with us," the men said. We walked up the stairs into the building. It was really a blur about what was inside. They rushed us everywhere. It was like a giant maze, with lots and lots of doors.

"When are going to stop?" Zach asked.

"I think they are just rushing us around so we won't remember the way out," Alex said.

"Well it isn't working. I remember the details of every hallway we have been in. We have been down this hall 3 times," Mara said, though she didn't look to happy. We had gotten used to the shock that we had been dragged to the White House.

"Here," the man said. The other two had gone away. Probably to do something else with the government. He opened the door. I saw the President sitting behind his desk reading some papers.

"Sir, they're here," the man said. He looked up from his desk and smiled.

"Welcome. I have been waiting to speak with you. You may go," he said to the man behind us. He turned and left. We all stood standing there, no one made a sound and no one moved.

"Please sit down. The men are a little intimidating," he motioned to the 6 chairs that were in front of him. We hesitated at first, and looked at each other. Zach was the first to move, he moved a chair out and sat down. Judging on how he didn't get shot or fried to death we all sat down too.

"Why did you call us in?" I asked immediately.

"Well I thought you would know. Have you seen the news lately?" he asked.

"No,"

"Well back months ago there was a small story about a small school in a small town in Georgia burning down. Now the government quickly payed for it and moved on with there lives. Not until only 2 months ago did this story come to my attention. Another school was broken into and half of the west wing was destroyed. The police went out there and investigated. There was nothing found, and none of the teachers, staff, or kids remembered a thing. That brought me into attention. I was informed about various things that could have made it happened. After all of them were proven wrong, like a gas leak or a surprise fire in the Chemistry lab. One last option stood, call up the people who went missing after the first one," he said. We all looked at each other.

'He couldn't know? Could he?" I thought.

"I have a few questions for you," he said drawing us back to his attention.

"Yeah?" Zach said.

"What happened the day of the fire?" he asked. There was a moment of silence, no one made a noise. The only thing we could hear was kids screaming and laughing outside.

"The day of the attack started on a Monday," Gabe started," the first Monday of the year. Oddly the school year had started on a Friday."

"Sapphire, Zach, Alex, and I were new students who had moved to Woodstock. We were introduced to Candle and Gabe at lunch. Nothing really happened until," Mara explained.

"Until next period. There was a fire drill," Zach continued," we were the last ones out of the building. Well almost, we heard shoes hitting the floor. Then men and women walked up to us. Their faces were covered up by mask, as if they were working in an old coal mine."

"They, well they...," Alex was trying to explain. He trailed off though, I wasn't sure how to explain it either.

"Um, we might want to go a secluded, outside area," I said to him. He smiled and nodded. He pressed a button on the small black box on his desk.

"Cheryl I am going outside for a walk," he said into the speaker, then stood up. He smiled and then opened the door. We all got up and walked through the door. Once outside we stood in a circle.

"Um... you might just want to stand where you can see, but not get hurt," Sapphire warned and then he backed up about 3 big steps. He had taken us to the back yard it had large walls surrounding the whole thing. We were in the back left corner, it was the clearest, tree surrounded place we could find.

Sapphire walked up and moved slowly to a move she called the dragon's dance. Soon fire started to take form into a large dragon, it danced and spun around in the air. I was out of breath the dragon was very detailed. Like the ones you would see in China, it was long and thin. I looked behind me and saw that the president was in aw. Though he seemed like he knew. Soon the dance was finished after many jumps and spins.

Next was Zach he walked up and smiled a cocky grin. He did something I had not seen before, instead of rooting his feet to the ground he moved them quickly across the grass. Out came small disk of rock, as they flew he stopped and moved his arms very quickly. As soon as he did the disk exploded one by one. What was left was just piles of dust, which Zach quickly put back into the ground.

Mara stepped up, there were no water sources around us. But I knew she knew better, there was the air and the plants. She slowly put her arms out as if she was concentrating really hard. Then after about 10 seconds the ground explode and all the water came out. It zipped toward Mara. It became a giant ball of water, she moved it around collecting all of it until it was all gone. The ground looked like a dessert, then she made it explode back into the ground. Only then did she open up her eyes. She had a thin coat of sweat all over her.

Alex stepped up he looked slightly nervous, then again he is almost always nervous. He moved his hands down to his side, they were shaped in a V shape. I knew what he was going to do.

'Be careful. That move could do some damage,' I whispered. He looked at me and nodded slightly. Then he shoved his hands up and out came a tube of air, it grew larger as it reached the top of the trees. Then after about 3 seconds he slowly let it die down into nothing.

Gabe stepped up, he had out a steel sword, I guess he had on him somewhere... Then he gave an apple to me.

"Go down to the edge of the path out of the trees and hold up the apple. I promise not to hit you," He smiled, I smiled back.

"OK," I said and ran down the path. It took almost forever to get there. I could barely see Gabe. Only a small outline.

'Count to three. Then I will throw the sword,' he said.

"One... two... three," I said and then about half a second after three a sword came flying into my view. I screamed and threw the apple up. The sword went through it cleanly and then landed on the floor with two halves of an apple.

"Oh God... I...," trailed off. He was right he did not hit me, but that scared the heck out of me.

'Told you,' he snickered in my mind.

'Yeah I guess you predicted that I would freak, throw the apple, and then it would hit it?' I said sarcastically.

'Something like that...,'

I ran back and had the two halves in my hands. They were perfectly cut.

"And now you Candle," the president said.

"Um well... you see I am a rare thing called the Avatar. It is hard to explain, but basically I can bend all the elements. Though I haven't learned all of them. I can't really show you anything that you haven't seen. I know air and really only how to move water and freeze it," I explained.

"I get it. You can show me some other time then. Now what did happen on that day?" he asked. We all started to explain about the men and women and how the school burned down. Then everything up to this day.

''''''''''''''''''''

"We need help. The British government has been going after us and I am sure that when our story gets out that we are runaways and that we have something to do with all the weird things that have been happening in the country I am sure some other people will be tempted to come after us," Mara was explaining," we are not asking for personal help, but just to keep the government at bay. Make them think that we are not really benders or even that we are not alive or something like that."

"I am try, but I am not sure I can keep them at bay for long. Contact me if you need anything," he said. We were in his office again, and we had dinner just only an hour ago. He said that we could stay for the night before we went on out to learn the next element.


	13. Chapter 13

Candle's POV.

"We need you to come with us," was what the man in the middle said. He had on thick black glasses and a black suit. All of them had wires coming from behind their ears that connected to headphones in their left ear.

We stared at them like they were crazy, I wasn't sure if we should trust them. They looked like Americans.

"Who are you," Mara asked.

"We wish to be un-named for this moment, we need you to come with us. We wish you no harm, we were just ordered to pick you up," the man in the middle said again. I looked at my friends, then my Grammy.

They were waiting for me to say something. I didn't know what to do.

'Candle it is up to you,' Zach whispered in my head.

'We will go with you no matter what,' Mara smiled, and the others nodded.

"We will come with you," I said to the men, they looked at each other and nodded.

"We will be leaving in ten minutes, pack your things," The man on the left said, then they turned and walked out of the room. Grammy went to go show them out.

"Candle, where do you think we are going?" Gabe asked.

"I don't know, I just hope I made the right choice," I said and looked out the window.

Grammy had just closed the door and you could see the car being lit up.

"We should go pack," Sapphire said and we walked up stairs. I felt a little uneasy, and stumbled on my way up the stairs and almost knocked Zach and sapphire down the stairs with me.

"Sorry...," I said sheepishly. They smiled and laughed, it brightened up my mood. I smiled back and walked the rest of the way up the stairs.

Mara was already half way done with packing. We didn't have much anyway. She had her clothes in her back-pack. Her phone was on its charger. She had gotten a new case when we were in Yellowstone. It was a turquoise blue and had what looked like sound bars on the back.

I started to fold my clothes, before the talent show I had plugged up my phone and tablet. They sat on the vanity, it had a vase of flowers on the right side and a picture of my Aunt Rose on the left. It had an old digital clock in the middle. The vanity was made out of oak wood that was painted white. The paint was also coming off, giving it a very old feeling.

Dad had given me an old violin book that my aunt had used when she tried to learn violin. I put it in my bag, then I put my note book by it and lastly I put my tablet with the charger still in the small slot. I placed my phone in my back pocket and put my bag on. Mara had already walked out and Sapphire was grabbing her bowl of blue fire.

I walked out and met with everyone else down stairs. Alex had his bag slung over his left shoulder. Zach and Gabe both had backpacks, like Mara. Sapphire had a strapped bag like me. They were all talking and waiting for us.

"Come on, before they start to wonder where we have been," Mara said. She was starting for the dining room. The house was like a giant line. The Kitchen, the dining room, and the living room. Off the living room up some stairs was the bedrooms and the up floor bathroom.

Once we got outside one of the men came out to open the door. It was a longer car than what I saw from the window. It was a limousine, he took our bags and put them in the back. We crawled inside, it was simple. There were tan seats, the soft leather and a small mini fridge in one corner.

"Whoa," Zach said. He was the last one in. The seats curved around the car in a rectangle. I was at one of the corners.

"Where are we going?" Sapphire asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like these people are pretty high up in authority," Mara said looking out the window. My Grammy stood there waving good-bye. We all stayed in silence for awhile. Nothing really happened.

"Hey, Mr. Driver. Um how long is it going to take us to get there?" Alex asked.

"About 7 more hours," he said. We were all in shock.

"Oh God, where are we even going?" I asked my self, I looked at the floor of the car. Did I make the wrong choice. What if this man was leading us to the some airplane to take us to London.

I must have fell asleep because the next thing I knew I was being called.

"Hey Candle are you going to wake up?" I opened my eyes and saw daylight streaming in the windows. I looked up and saw Zach shaking me very violently. I drew back my arm and threw some air at him. He flew back into his seat by Sapphire.

"I am not a morning person," I said with a grudge in my voice.

"What are you talking about it's like 11:00. It's noon," he said. I shot up, and grabbed my phone out of my back pocket. It read 11:09.

"I was a sleep till 11!" I yelled.

"Well yea, you fell asleep around 1. We all fell asleep, but woke up a lot earlier," Zach explained as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up earlier!" I yelled at him.

"Because we knew this would happen, just a million times worse," Gabe laughed, I looked at him and saw slight bags under his eyes.

"Why did you guys wake up so early then?" I asked.

"The men stopped for some breakfast on the way. We left in here so you could sleep," Sapphire explained, I looked down and sighed. I was hungry.

"We saved you some food," Mara said holding up a box.

"What's in it?" I asked, taking it from her.

"We have some biscuits and half of a chocolate chip waffle," she said, I opened it up and saw a huge half of a Belem waffle and two biscuits. I smiled and took out a biscuit. It was like one of those that are soft and fluffy.

"The driver said that we would be arriving in 2 hours," Alex said.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We don't know, there is sun streaming through the windows, but it is hard to make out anything," Gabe said, as he looked out the window behind him. I turned to my left and saw very blurry figures that we were passing, but nothing seemed together or recognizable.

"humph," I sighed. We started to talk about random things, nothing really followed a topic for more than 8 minutes. We told some stories, and then talked about something we had heard about or seen in a movie. We talked until we slowed down to a stop. The door opened and we felt the warm air of the outside. It wasn't as warm as it had been in California, but it felt like to be in it's lower 70's

"Where are we?" Sapphire asked. There was a huge white building in front of us. There was a water fountain going on behind us.

"You have got to be kidding me," Zach said.

"Are we really at the-," Gabe started.

"The White House," I finished. All of us stared as the building with our mouths open.

"Come with us," the men said. We walked up the stairs into the building. It was really a blur about what was inside. They rushed us everywhere. It was like a giant maze, with lots and lots of doors.

"When are going to stop?" Zach asked.

"I think they are just rushing us around so we won't remember the way out," Alex said.

"Well it isn't working. I remember the details of every hallway we have been in. We have been down this hall 3 times," Mara said, though she didn't look to happy. We had gotten used to the shock that we had been dragged to the White House.

"Here," the man said. The other two had gone away. Probably to do something else with the government. He opened the door. I saw the President sitting behind his desk reading some papers.

"Sir, they're here," the man said. He looked up from his desk and smiled.

"Welcome. I have been waiting to speak with you. You may go," he said to the man behind us. He turned and left. We all stood standing there, no one made a sound and no one moved.

"Please sit down. The men are a little intimidating," he motioned to the 6 chairs that were in front of him. We hesitated at first, and looked at each other. Zach was the first to move, he moved a chair out and sat down. Judging on how he didn't get shot or fried to death we all sat down too.

"Why did you call us in?" I asked immediately.

"Well I thought you would know. Have you seen the news lately?" he asked.

"No,"

"Well back months ago there was a small story about a small school in a small town in Georgia burning down. Now the government quickly payed for it and moved on with there lives. Not until only 2 months ago did this story come to my attention. Another school was broken into and half of the west wing was destroyed. The police went out there and investigated. There was nothing found, and none of the teachers, staff, or kids remembered a thing. That brought me into attention. I was informed about various things that could have made it happened. After all of them were proven wrong, like a gas leak or a surprise fire in the Chemistry lab. One last option stood, call up the people who went missing after the first one," he said. We all looked at each other.

'He couldn't know? Could he?" I thought.

"I have a few questions for you," he said drawing us back to his attention.

"Yeah?" Zach said.

"What happened the day of the fire?" he asked. There was a moment of silence, no one made a noise. The only thing we could hear was kids screaming and laughing outside.

"The day of the attack started on a Monday," Gabe started," the first Monday of the year. Oddly the school year had started on a Friday."

"Sapphire, Zach, Alex, and I were new students who had moved to Woodstock. We were introduced to Candle and Gabe at lunch. Nothing really happened until," Mara explained.

"Until next period. There was a fire drill," Zach continued," we were the last ones out of the building. Well almost, we heard shoes hitting the floor. Then men and women walked up to us. Their faces were covered up by mask, as if they were working in an old coal mine."

"They, well they...," Alex was trying to explain. He trailed off though, I wasn't sure how to explain it either.

"Um, we might want to go a secluded, outside area," I said to him. He smiled and nodded. He pressed a button on the small black box on his desk.

"Cheryl I am going outside for a walk," he said into the speaker, then stood up. He smiled and then opened the door. We all got up and walked through the door. Once outside we stood in a circle.

"Um... you might just want to stand where you can see, but not get hurt," Sapphire warned and then he backed up about 3 big steps. He had taken us to the back yard it had large walls surrounding the whole thing. We were in the back left corner, it was the clearest, tree surrounded place we could find.

Sapphire walked up and moved slowly to a move she called the dragon's dance. Soon fire started to take form into a large dragon, it danced and spun around in the air. I was out of breath the dragon was very detailed. Like the ones you would see in China, it was long and thin. I looked behind me and saw that the president was in aw. Though he seemed like he knew. Soon the dance was finished after many jumps and spins.

Next was Zach he walked up and smiled a cocky grin. He did something I had not seen before, instead of rooting his feet to the ground he moved them quickly across the grass. Out came small disk of rock, as they flew he stopped and moved his arms very quickly. As soon as he did the disk exploded one by one. What was left was just piles of dust, which Zach quickly put back into the ground.

Mara stepped up, there were no water sources around us. But I knew she knew better, there was the air and the plants. She slowly put her arms out as if she was concentrating really hard. Then after about 10 seconds the ground explode and all the water came out. It zipped toward Mara. It became a giant ball of water, she moved it around collecting all of it until it was all gone. The ground looked like a dessert, then she made it explode back into the ground. Only then did she open up her eyes. She had a thin coat of sweat all over her.

Alex stepped up he looked slightly nervous, then again he is almost always nervous. He moved his hands down to his side, they were shaped in a V shape. I knew what he was going to do.

'Be careful. That move could do some damage,' I whispered. He looked at me and nodded slightly. Then he shoved his hands up and out came a tube of air, it grew larger as it reached the top of the trees. Then after about 3 seconds he slowly let it die down into nothing.

Gabe stepped up, he had out a steel sword, I guess he had on him somewhere... Then he gave an apple to me.

"Go down to the edge of the path out of the trees and hold up the apple. I promise not to hit you," He smiled, I smiled back.

"OK," I said and ran down the path. It took almost forever to get there. I could barely see Gabe. Only a small outline.

'Count to three. Then I will throw the sword,' he said.

"One... two... three," I said and then about half a second after three a sword came flying into my view. I screamed and threw the apple up. The sword went through it cleanly and then landed on the floor with two halves of an apple.

"Oh God... I...," trailed off. He was right he did not hit me, but that scared the heck out of me.

'Told you,' he snickered in my mind.

'Yeah I guess you predicted that I would freak, throw the apple, and then it would hit it?' I said sarcastically.

'Something like that...,'

I ran back and had the two halves in my hands. They were perfectly cut.

"And now you Candle," the president said.

"Um well... you see I am a rare thing called the Avatar. It is hard to explain, but basically I can bend all the elements. Though I haven't learned all of them. I can't really show you anything that you haven't seen. I know air and really only how to move water and freeze it," I explained.

"I get it. You can show me some other time then. Now what did happen on that day?" he asked. We all started to explain about the men and women and how the school burned down. Then everything up to this day.

''''''''''''''''''''

"We need help. The British government has been going after us and I am sure that when our story gets out that we are runaways and that we have something to do with all the weird things that have been happening in the country I am sure some other people will be tempted to come after us," Mara was explaining," we are not asking for personal help, but just to keep the government at bay. Make them think that we are not really benders or even that we are not alive or something like that."

"I am try, but I am not sure I can keep them at bay for long. Contact me if you need anything," he said. We were in his office again, and we had dinner just only an hour ago. He said that we could stay for the night before we went on out to learn the next element.


	14. Chapter 14

Candle's POV.

We had spent the night at the white house and were now on a plane to go to the Amazon jungle. We had looked over the letter and saw that there was a new part of the letter. Mom had said that there was a clan the my grandmother had been friends with after she helped heal the sick. They called themselves Jungle people. It was simple to remember, but the hard part was getting into the jungle.

We all knew of the poison filled, unexplored parts of the Amazon jungle. That was what we were most wiry of. So was the president, he asked if there was any other way. There was nothing on the letter that said otherwise.

We were flying over the jungle right now and it looked just as it did in the pictures that people had taken. Though it was 20x cooler! The sun was just about to set, which also made it prettier. Though the pilot said that we would touch down at a camp and then they would give us a map of the jungle. Only then would we be separating from the government. I couldn't wait. I was sick of all the watching and when we had to go somewhere we had to tell someone and then they would send someone to watch us.

The sun had set and the pilot said we would be there in 20 minutes. We had all been quiet for the whole ride. This had been the longest plane ride I had ever been on, and I think my car sickness had spread to the plane. I wasn't feeling as good as I was when I was in the car driving to the airport.

I sighed," I don't feel good."

"But you only have small car sickness," Gabe said turning around from his seat.

"Yeah... well, plans change," I groaned.

"Do you want me to make you feel better?" Mara asked turning coming up from behind my seat.

"Yeah...," I said groaning.

"OK, so close your eyes," she said. I did.

"Hey what are you-," I heard and then a sharp pain in my chest. I opened my eyes and then saw darkness.

''''''''''''''''''''''

"Candle! Wake up!" I heard yelling and then jerking. My eyes snapped open and I sat up. I reached back and punched what ever was in front of me.

"Hey cut it out!" I yelled at it. Then my eyes came into focus after I put on my glasses. Which had been taken off. I heard a groan and got up.

"Zach! What are you doing on the floor?" I asked him.

"You have... a good arm," he said. Then I felt a jerk. I looked out the window to my left.

"Hey, what is that?" I asked him.

"Candle come on. Zach get up! Put these on. We have to jump!" Sapphire was yelling at us over the wind. The door had just opened. I put on the parachute and walked over to Zach, who was still a little lightheaded.

"Come on. Or you die," I told him, tightening the straps. I turned around and he did the same. He had started to come back to reality. I felt each being pulled tight and then he stopped.

"All good. Come on," he said. We were the last to jump out. I hesitated to do it," come on. We can find the others once we get to the bottom. Come on we jump together," he yelled. He grabbed my hand and then jumped, pulling me with him. I screamed until I got used to falling. Which only happened when we opened the parachute.

We floated down into the darkness. Then hit the canopy. The leaves caught the parachute in an instant. I was left hanging in the canopy.

"Zach?" I looked around and then saw him break through the canopy. He was hanging just like me.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Do you want me to cut the ropes?"

"Yeah," I moved the air until it was going fast enough to cut the rope. Then slowly moved it toward Zach. He backed away as I got closer, but then after about 3 second the ropes cut. He fell and hit the large branch below. It was big enough to walk on and still have about a foot of walking distance.

"I am going to cut myself down now," I yelled at him. He nodded, I moved the air closer to me, it looked like a mad whirl wind storm. I was almost as scared as falling from the plane. Even more so to put that to my face. Then I heard snapping, the ropes. They were being cut by the wind. In about 2 seconds I fell. Instantly I twirled around and an air bubble soften my fall. My hair was all in my face when I was on the ground.

"You look like you just woke up," Zach was laughing.

"Oh shut up," I said and then blasted some air in his face," now you look like you just woke up," I laughed and then pulled my hair back and put it up in a ponytail. The end of it touch down at the edge of my back. I looked down at the branch.

"Wait. Where are we?" I looked all around. It was silent, I mean like no sound except for us. Then I realized that we were at the mother tree.

"We're on the...," I trailed off.

"Mother tree," Zach said," we're off at the edge of the tree. Lets make our way to the middle of the tree. Maybe we can find the others once we're there," Zach said. I nodded. We were in the middle of the jungle.

Zach started down without any thought. I followed close behind.

"What made us fall?" I asked," and why do I have an aching feeling in my stomach?"

"Well, you were feeling plane sick. Your car sickness had spread to the plane. Mara offered to make you feel better. You agreed and then she knocked you out. Gabe yelled at her until he took a breath and she explained why she had. Your mind would slightly less active at the part that was making you sick. Part of your mind stays on so that when you are asleep. She started to "heal" you mind with water.

Then we felt a bump. We figured it was just a cloud until Alex and Sapphire started to freak out. We looked out the windows on the right side and saw a huge tornado. That wasn't natural, it just appeared and then after about 10 minutes it was gone, but we were going down. Alex yelled at me to wake you up. And then you know what happened after that," Zach finished.

We were at the center now. The trunk was huge, almost 6 times as big as the branch we had landed on. It went up above the clouds.

"How did we not see this as we were flying over the jungle?" I asked Zach, he looked in awe.

"We did, you were just knocked out," he said walking forward," come on. Lets climb to the top and see if we can see any traces with our friends."

I followed Zach quickly behind. He must have climbed trees a lot, I was breathing heavily half way up. Zach was speeding ahead of me and was almost to the top. I wasn't sure how long we had been climbing, and I wasn't sure if the sun was going to rise soon.

"Are we there yet?" I asked him.

"Yeah, just about a third of the way," Zach yelled.

"That's not funny," I yelled back at him. He was at the top before I could climb the next two. I hurried after him.

"Hey that wasn't funny," I yelled at him, but he seemed lost in his own mind," hey," I said shaking my hand in front of his face," hey wake up. What is up with you," I asked turning my head to where he was looking. I gasped there were blue orbs floating all around the jungle.

"What the...," I trailed off, it was amazing.

"Get down from there!" someone yelled from behind me. I felt a grasped around my arm and then a jerk.

"Hey what the-," I tried but then a hand was placed over my mouth.

"Shh..., or you will get us caught," he thing said, I couldn't see him. It was too dark, I couldn't even see Zach when he yelled and got pulled down.

"Where are we going, and who are you!" I said as he pulled me down as he jumped from branch to branch. Then he stopped, I was hanging on the edge of a branch. I was pulled up almost right after I realized I was hanging. Then I saw light, well lot of lights actually. They looked like campfires.

"Come on, we need to get to the light," the figure said. He jumped and pulled me along with him again. I screamed until we landed with a thud. I gasped, the campfires weren't just campfires. They came with people. It looked like a whole tribe, of people living in the jungle.

"Whoa. What is this place?" I asked.

"This is where we live. We are the Jungle people. Come we have food and drinks, I'm sure that you're hungry," he said. He walked into the light and I saw what he looked like. He was an older man and had white hair starting to come in. He smiled and lead me over to a table of food. I walked over to the table and saw slices of meat and fruit.

"That's jaguar meat. It's a little tough, but if you cook it right it taste like beef," An old man smiled at me. He was standing in line next to me. I looked at the meat, it looked like regular beef.

"Eh, I'll try it," I put some on my plate and moved on. There was lots of things I couldn't name, but I put them on my plate anyway. I sat down with the man who saved me and Zach. They were talking about this same "tree house" that they live in.

"We use the branches and trunk for our home. Each hut that you see can hold about four people in it. We build on the tree, but we don't cut into it. This tree is very important to the living of the jungle. If we were to hurt it in anyway it would also start to kill us. We would have no food or protection from the Kar," he explained, then looked out at the sky. I saw stars, but nothing looked out of order.

"What are Kar?" I asked still staring at the sky.

"Kar are those blue orbs. They aren't really blue orbs, they are more like small moths that suck your blood. Sorta like vampires, but in moth form. They draw you in with their blue light. It entrances you, until it takes over your mind. They aren't really something you want to meet in the forest," he laughed.

"Oh right, sir we have some friends missing. We had to jump out of a plane because there was this tornado that came out of no where. It made our plane go haywire, we were the last to jump and the longest to get out. We fell into your tree and climbed to the top to see if we could see anything that would help us find our friends. Then you came along. Thank you for saving us," Zach said shaking hands with the man.

"By the way my name is Esbin. I am the leader of the Jungle people. I have been leading this village for only 6 years. In my time I have learned to help my people in more ways than being leader. I was informed that there was indeed a plane flying over our territory. We watched it and did see the tornado. We saw your friends jump out, and we did also see you fall out and land in our tree. Then the Kar showed up-,"

"That's when you guys grabbed us and brought us here," Zach finished.

"Do you think there is a way for us to find our friends?" I asked him. He nodded," really how do we find them?"

"You'll have to wait till morning, when the Kar are gone," he said, I sat back down with a sigh.

"Come on, you can use one of our spare huts for now. We can bring you bed rolls for now. I am sure you'll be leaving with your friends in the next couple of days," he smiled.

"Well actually we came here to find you and your people. You see Candle is the Avatar and she needs to learn water and what not-," Zach was cut off.

"What! She's the Avatar!" he exploded.

"Well you do to be too surprised," I sighed," yeah I am the Avatar, but I can only bend air and move a little of water. When I tried it with a waterbending master at Yellowstone national Park I ended up being smacked with the lake more than any person should be," I laughed and they laughed too," but I went there to learn airbending and then to my dad's place to teach myself the second half of airbending. Now I need to come here and learn Waterbending. I was hoping you guys could help," I explained, he nodded.

"I see, so you will be staying here longer than I expected. For now I will be okay with it. But if you bring us any harm to our village I will have no choice but to evict you," he said I nodded and tried to look strong.

"Aye," Zach and I both said and high-fived. Esbin smiled and then showed us to the hut. He brought us some water and the bags that we jumped with. I smiled and thanked him. Zach and I were too tried to get changed and just fell asleep when we hit the pillow.

''''''''''''''''

"Hey Candle, Candle," I heard a voice. I slowly opened my eyes. There was a boy sitting there. I sat up and looked around it was the same place where I had met Iroh. It was green all around and there was a forest off in the distance.

"Candle," said a small boy. He had an arrow coming down onto his forehead and was smiling," look, see," he said and then I saw blue light and then fire. There was fire everywhere and people dead and alive, crying and bleeding.

I gasped I saw a blue light among them. It was walking slow and the light was getting softer. I ran over to it, but it was gone by the time I got there.

"Who were you?" I asked, but I didn't get an answer. Then I saw the blue light again and then the boy.

"What did I just see, tell me!" I yelled at him. He didn't move except the smile from his face went down.

"You saw what would happen if you were to lose. The world would be put at the mercy of the Devil. You can't let that happen," he said. I looked at him in horror.

"Who was that blue light," I asked quietly.

"That was the Avatar, you and your future lives. That's what you will become if you loose a servant of the monster that you have to defeat," he said.

"Wait what is your name?" I asked.

"I'm Aang. The avatar you've descended from," he smiled. Then he started to fade.

"Whoa, wait. Wait!" I yelled and then sat up. It was broad day light and Zach was still in his sack. He muffled something.

"Shut up Candle I'm trying to sleep,"

"Huh," I looked over at the covered door. I could see people's shadow's and feet walking by. I got up and opened the sheet. The people rushed around, kids climbed up the tree with bags behind them. Some women were going down the tree, by jumping from branch to branch, to collect some water. Men were working on starting fires in the fire pit, it looked like it was made so that it wouldn't catch the tree on fire. Some of the men had spears and were ready to go out and hunt for the next meal.

I walked around and saw that people were dress in things made from the jungle. It looked like they wore pelts of jaguar and other things. I walked around confused, I still had not waken up. I didn't remember what had happened last night. People were running past me quickly and I didn't realize what it was until I was almost pulled off with them. They were the hunting parties. I was hanging on the edge of the tree with just my hand.

"Well this is just great my first day with the tribe and I am already hanging off the tree for dear life," I said, I wasn't too pleased about where I was. Then I felt a hand grasp my wrist and pull me up. I gasped and turned when I felt it. I came face to face with a girl, she looked about a year older than me.

She had a hard face and forest green eyes. Her long brown hair went down to the end of her back. Though she was smiling, and had a bag that looked like one you would have if you had to deliver mail.

"You might to be more careful. When the hunting parties go out there isn't much you can do to avoid them. By the way my name is Amber," she said shaking my hand before letting it go. I was stunned, she was the first person to talk to me in the tribe.

"Oh, uh... thanks I guess...," I trailed off not moving from the spot.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"Yeah, um... my name is Candle," I said.

"Oh, great. You're the one I'm looking for Esbin asked me to go get you. He wants to speak with you about your friends. Oh and here," she said opening her bag, I looked inside and saw something moving.

"Ah! there is something moving in your bag," I yelled, she looked up holding something she had just found.

"Oh yeah that is my pet panda. Her name is Feather," she said.

"But you live in the Amazon Jungle," I said.

"Yeah, so what I went to China one time and found this mini panda," she said holding out what she had found.

"Oh...,"

"Here take this hair look like you went through a lawn mower," she handed me the hair brush. I took out my ponytail and let my green hair loose. The tension on my head fell a lot. The funny thing was I hadn't noticed it until I let it down.

"Whoa, is your hair really green?" she asked as I brushed it.

"Yeah, why?"

"Why, because I could be seeing things wrong. How did you get a dye to look like that?" she asked touching it.

"Um, it's not a dye. It's how I was born," I said taking a step back. I guess she noticed that I was creeped out because she instantly apologized.

"Oh, sorry. Come on, we need to get to Esbin," she smiled and then ran off. I ran after her, just I was far behind her. She was climbing the tree before I reached the lowest branch. I jumped up and followed her. I reached the part where she stopped I was out of breath.

"Here we are," she said and pointed inside a hold. It looked like were a bird would have its nest but 20x bigger.

"Whoa...," I said and she dragged me inside. There sat on the ground with a fire in front of him was Esbin. He was drawing on something, it looked like paper but older.

"Esbin, Candle is here," Amber said. I smiled and waved. He looked up from where he was and smiled. I heard some more foot steps and saw Zach and some other dude.

"Good you're all here. Candle, Zach we have located your friends. Amber and Jack will take you to them tomorrow,"


	15. Chapter 15

Thea's POV.

The crowd screamed for my Dad and Hiccup.

"Alright!"Dad yelled over the crowd to start his speech,"Now I can show my face inn public again," my Dad joked and I laughed. Me, Hiccup, and Astrid were down with Hiccup to help him prepare. All Hiccup had brought from home was his helmet. I had told him the prophecy about us. He seemed shocked about it and then he started to wrap his his around the idea. I had also told him about how Gothi had stuttered at the last part. We stayed in silence for awhile and then I thought about GreyStream.

'GreyStream!' I called in my head.

'Yes, I'm here,' she called back.

'something is going to happen today. I can feel it,' i said to her.

'I can feel it to,'

'What ever you hear or what ever Toothless says to you do not come out of the Cove. OK?'I asked.

'I promise,' and then I cut off the connection.

"Astrid," I heard Hiccup say," whatever happens make sure that they don't find Toothless," he turned to me," you to Thea."

"We will," Astrid said for me, I was about to cry because I was hoping Hiccup wouldn't die. The part Gothi stuttered about, I knew it had something about something bad happening. I knew it would happen to one of us.

"Just promise us that it won't go wrong,"Astrid said in a small voice.

"I promise," he told Astrid.

"And Thea I -," I cut him off.

"Don't promise me that. OK?" I hugged him and let a tear fall. Then Gobber came up.

"It's time Hiccup. Knock 'em dead," Gobber said jestering Hiccup out. I watched him put on his helmet and walk out. The crowd got loud by the second and I let more tears come out, until it was cry with Astrid trying to comfort me. I cried in her arms like I was her younger sister.

Then I heard Astrid tell me to look up. I did. Hiccup was right there in the middle of the arena with his hand extended out to the Monstrous Nightmare.

"Hiccup," I whispered.

"Hey it's OK," I heard Hiccup say to the Nightmare.

"I said STOP THE FIGHT!" Dad yelled and the Nightmare went after Hiccup.

"HICCUP!" Astrid yelled and opened a small hole under the gate I climbed through first and bent fire between the dragon and Hiccup to stop the Nightmare from eating Hiccup. People gasped and then the smoke cleared and I had a shield in front of the dragon and Hiccup.

"STOP!" I yelled more people gasped as they realized that I was the one who created the shields. Time slowed down and I lost control to the shields and the dragon went after Hiccup again. I tried again, Astrid had thrown a hammer at the dragon and it was chasing her now. I tried to stop it but I couldn't.

Then Dad opened the gate and grabbed me back.

"This way!" he yelled and time sped up again. Astrid ran in, but the Nightmare stopped hiccup by throwing molten lava in front of. I ran up to and bent it of the walled and threw it at the dragon. Again people gasped but I ignored them. Then Hiccup was caught under the dragon's claws.

Then out of no where I heard a night fury scream. Toothless blow a hole in the top of the roof and flew in. He attacked the Nightmare and pushed him off of Hiccup. When the smoke cleared Toothless was fight to keep the Nightmare of of Hiccup.

That's when things started to go bad. The Nightmare ran off and Hiccup ran up to Toothless and tried to push him away. Toothless wouldn't listen. Dad grabbed a hammer and went after Toothless. Soon Dad was pushed to the ground. Toothless got in a firing position and Hiccup yelled. He hesitated and then was taken down by other Vikings. Dad got back up.

"Put 'em with the other," Dad said pushing a sword away.

"You're coming with me. Both of you!" I could see that Dad had as much rage as he did when Hiccup shot down the Night Fury. I was so glad GreyStream wasn't here.

We walk up to the great hall and he pushed open the door with so much force it slammed on the wall.

"I should have know, I should have seen the signs," he was sooo angry. I knew we might not see sunlight for about, oh give or say, never in the rest of our life.

"And you. How did you make fire and blue things," he said as the door shot and it became dark. I took a chance and made a star.

"Ah! What is that?" he yelled.

"A star," I answered calmly. He looked at me in total horror and then started to yell at Hiccup.

"We had a deal!" he scream at Hiccup.

"I know, but that was before-. Oh it's so messed up," Hiccup said running his hands in his hair. I knew he would be dead if Dad ever forgave him.

"Just take this out, punish me. Just don't hurt Toothless," Hiccup pleaded and I just stood there and watched as Dad released his rage

"THE DRAGON! That's what you're worried about. Not the people you almost killed!" he roared.

"He's not dangerous, he was just protecting me, he-he's not dangerous," Hiccup trying to convince Dad. I had light a couple of the coals in the fire pit to play with and keep me warm while they had their cold war.

"They killed hundreds of us," Dad yelled louder.

"And we've killed thousands of them. They protect themselves that's all," Dad paced around all angry," There's something else on their island, it's a dragon-," Dad cut him off and I looked up.

"Their island!" Dad exclaimed, them started to get quieter," so you've been to the nest?"

"Did I say nest," Hiccup shuddered and I started to walk over.

"Where did you find it," Dad jumped up to him. Then I stepped in front of him.

"He didn't, Toothless did. Only a dragon can find it," I said, putting my arms up to block Hiccup from Dad jumping on him. But instead he stood up and whispered.

"Yes,"

"No, no. Dad you don't want to. There is a dragon on the island. A dragon like never before," I tried running after him. He shoved me back and I landed on Hiccup, pushing us both to the ground.

"You're not Vikings, you're not me children," he said and as I was getting up I was pushed to the ground by a force. A force of pain.

Dad walked out and slammed the door, but it swung open again. I heard him yell:

"Ready the ships!"

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hiccup stood on the board walks while I sat on the edge with my legs swing off. We watched as the weapons were loaded on, and then as the last thing Toothless was loaded on. We watched as they put things on him to prevent him from breathing fire or flying away.

I looked over at Hiccup and saw that he was hurt. Dad looked up at us and then turned like we were nothing. He yelled an order and then said something to Toothless and they sailed off. We sat there for a while and watched the ships fade in the horizon

'Hiccup what are you going to do?' I asked in his head, breaking the silence.

'N-nothing,' he stuttered.

'What do you mean! Your the man with the plan. Oh my Gods Hiccup, you're the lord of plans!' I screamed in his head.

'I just can't do anything this time,' He looked away.

'I wish there were some more dragons,' I said.

"Wait what did you think?" but Astrid came up. We all stood there for a couple moments and then she spoke up.

"It's all a mess. You guys must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend," she said staring at the ocean.

"Thanks Astrid that helps. That really sums it up," I said.

"Why couldn't we have just killed the dragons when we found them in the woods. I would've been better for everyone," Hiccup said still looking at the ocean.

"Yep the rest of us would've made it, so why didn't you two?" she asked and looked at us. We both stayed quite. That question ringed in my head.

'Why didn't you? Why didn't you?' it ringed I couldn't help it. I had to send my anger some where, so I did. I shot the biggest ball of fire I could make and I watched fly off to the horizon.

I looked back at them and they were both wide-eyed and I just sat there shooting fire at one of the torches and watched it burn.

"Why didn't you?" Astrid finally said.

"I just don't just, we couldn't," Hiccup and I said at the same time.

"That's not an answer," she said.

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden!" Hiccup yelled.

"because I want to remember what you said right now," she had a stern look on her.

"Oh for the lovied. We were a coward, we were weak, we wouldn't kill a dragon!" I said now shooting frozen water a the tall men in the water.

"You said wouldn't that time," she pushed and now I was standing up.

"Whatever, we wouldn't. Three hundred years and were the first vikings who wouldn't kill a dragon!" Hiccup yelled.

"First to ride one though," she said not raising her voice. I stepped back thinking.

'We were the first ones to ride a dragon, and the first ones who lived to tell the tail of a night fury. We rewrote history,' I thought smiling.

"So...,"

"We wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as we were. Greystream looked calm, but when we looked at our dragons we saw ourselves. We can't just go around and kill ourselves," I said raising my hands in the air. I saw both of them smile at that remark.

"I bet he's really frightened now," she said and we all looked at the ocean.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked and I started to brighten up and smile.

"Eh... something stupid," he said a smile crawling at his lips.

"Good but you have already done that," she said smiling to.

"Then something crazy," I finished and started to run down the boardwalks.

"You thinking what I am thinking?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I can hear it, and I came up with it, sorta," I smiled and we ran for the arena.

"Go get the others," I told Astrid and she curved off into the village.


	16. Chapter 16

Candle's POV.

I sat on the small balcony of the upstairs bedroom. Four of us slept out in the loft and the other 3 slept in the room. Even though it could fit in like 7 people in the bedroom. The moon was big tonight and the stars were brighter, well at least to me.

I had my glasses off, I didn't need them before. Most of the time, but it's been getting worse. My mom wore glasses and so did Dad. I couldn't go to sleep, so I slipped outside. Even though it was still in the middle of winter if felt good. The cold always got to me, but tonight it was one of the those rare days where it wasn't cold. I still wore a sweatshirt and my pants reached down to my ankles.

Everyone who was asleep in my room were hard sleepers and wouldn't hear me. I had Sapphire and then in the loft in our room had Gabe as its visitor. Mara and then were in the loft overlooking the living room and kitchen. I know complicated, right?

The balcony was small and was only meant for one or two small people. Tonight I came out to think, and that was exactly what happened. My mind was wondering. About that battle at the school. We had damaged every hallway except for the ones on the third floor. And other ones that we didn't fight in. I mean you can't break a wall 16 walls away from you. But each floor had it's own damage on it. I sighed I didn't want to know how much it would cost. Years, I thought to myself.

Years of saving and paying it back. We have no money and no home really. Well Irene and Creg would take us in. They won't mind, but would we live long enough to see the day?

I looked at the Man on the Moon, he was smiling down on me tonight. I wish tomorrow won't come. We were planning to leave that day, we couldn't risk any more attacks on the students and/or teachers and Staff. The women at the desk had been knocked out cold by some masked person.

Then the door creaked. I gasped and turned my head around. I couldn't see much, everything was fuzzy.

"W-who is there?" I asked choking a little on my words. The creak shocked me just a little.

"Hey, don't you know it's me?" the black figured said. I knew that voice, Gabe!

"Oh sorry, you probably don't know. My vision, it's getting worse. I just needed them because I failed a test when I was young, but I never really wore them. They were-," he cut me off.

"They were on the table next to the latter. I know I saw them. They were orange, I knew they had to be yours. No one here or that I know wears the color orange more than you," he smiled and put them on me. I felt my eyes widen, I say perfectly.

There stood Gabe, he was smiling down on me. And then he sat next to me.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Oh, well, um... I couldn't sleep," I looked down at the concert. The balcony was concert on the bottom and a metal fence surrounding it. I guess it wasn't used so much.

"That's new, you are always passed out on your bed the minute your head hits the pillow. And you also yell in your sleep, did you know that?" he asked and snickered under his breath.

"I heard that," I said and half-heartedly punched him," And no I didn't know that. How loud do.. I yell?"

"Um lets see. One time you woke up half of the house," he laughed full on.

"Hey," I punched him for real in the arm.

"Ow! OK, I had that coming. But why are you really out here?" he asked.

"I told you I couldn't sleep. Not after today," I looked behind me, biting my lip.

"I know how you feel. Those kids, in the room, they were all crying. Even some of the boys and we're in 8th grade. They have never seen supernatural power. For you guys at least. I am just good with a sword," I looked into his eyes. They glowed in the moonlight, but it took some nerve to say that. His eye almost looked like they would break.

"No!" I said sternly. He almost looked a taken back," you are a part of our team. You have a gift with the sword, not just a gift. But a blessing, like all of us. We could call it sword bending or something. But you are not just good with a sword, you are a bender of the sword."

"B-but, Candle-,"

"Nope, you except it alright. I am your girlfriend. My words are law," I looked at him with a cocky look," well most of the time," I laughed and he laughed too.

"Ok, ok. So if you call this sword bending, then I should be able to make a sword right?" he asked.

"Yep, we will find you some place where you can do that. And while we're on the subject. I want to learn sword bending. I am the Avatar I have to learn how to bend all the elements," I folded my arms.

"Fine, but then you have to promise that you won't go off and kill your self. Got it, if you kill your self then I can't see you," He said sympathetically. I felt heat in my cheeks, and looked away. I was glad it was dark, I don't blush in front of him. I just don't do it.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. You have to promise not to be stupid and go out to try and save my butt. Got it, or then you'll have a sword to your throat," I laughed, he laughed along with me.

"Fine. I swear," he putting his arm over me. I felt hot again and I looked at the moon. For the first time that night I was glad the moon was smiling.


	17. Chapter 17

Candle's POV.

Gabe and I had fallen asleep on the deck and Sapphire found out there. I had gone bright red when I became un-zombified. I wasn't a morning person, so when I woke up I ended up throwing a couple balls at her. Each one hit her, but below her chest. It wasn't that I was mad it was just that she woke me up just after sunrise and like I said I love to sleep in. It takes forever to get me up in the mornings, Gabe practically had to drag me off the deck.

I was up in the room now, I was packing up what I had in my bag. I only had a few things.

All of my school books had been destroyed in the fight. I had only my tablet, phone, clothes, some notebooks, and a few books. Enough to carry all the way around the world. We were leaving at night to catch a plane ride to the Redwood Forest. We weren't going to learn waterbending, but continue on air. Rosemary was explaining that there is two types of air. Mountain air and Forest air, I didn't really understand what she meant.

We were being taken to the airport again, though we insisted that we would just ride on our bikes. Creg wouldn't agree, he said if something like the storm happened again and he wasn't there to help. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

It was about 12:00pm, and our flight was at 3:00pm. We wanted to get there early so we could get something to eat for the plane ride to California. We are taking the risk for staying there for an hour, fully exposing ourselves to any government people. I didn't want to find out how it would end if we were in a cell in Britain.

"Hey, Candle you almost done?" Gabe walked up next to me, I was putting my last book in my bag.

"Yeah, I am done," I sighed as I put my bag of my shoulder and turned around to him.

"I wish too, but we need to move before we hurt Creg's family," he said. I just looked at him and sighed. I walked over to the stairs and walked down. Gabe walked behind me.

Zach and Alex were playing a last game of Mario Kart with Dylan. Rosemary, Mara, Angel, and Sapphire. Creg was outside putting some gas in the car and Irene was cooking dinner, they were having stew so she was having to make it 6 hours ahead of time. I was a little jealous, I love stew.

"Candle, are you sure you want to leave?" Creg asked as he came in from the driveway. The driveway wasn't like usual ones, it's pathway was made out of pebbles and gravel.

"Yes, we don't want to cause you anymore trouble. Even if you offer stew. Which in my mind is hard to turn away," I laughed and he laughed along with me.

"I see there is no way we can change your mind. Ah well, I know what you are feeling right now and trust me. You are doing the right thing. Protecting the people you love," he put his hand on my shoulder and walked away.

I walked into the living and sat next down to Alex, Gabe went over to Creg to ask who knows what.

"You are lucky your mom made friends with him," I said.

"Yeah, we talk a lot about my mom and what she was like," he said as he took his final lap on Coconut Mall.

"I think when you guys finish this race we will leave," I said to him.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We don't want to be late for our flight or be here any longer to let the government know we're here," he said as he was pushed back to second," Hey, Dylan!"

I laughed under my breath and went to grab my bag.

"Hey Mara, Sapphire. We are about to leave," I said to them.

"Right now?" Sapphire asked.

"Yeah, sorry if I interrupted a conversation," I explained.

"No, no. We were just surprised at it right now. We thought we were leaving in about 10 minutes. Only just a time misunderstanding," Mara explained.

"OK. I'll meet you guys outside, they just finish their race," I pointed to Alex, Zach, and Dylan. They were putting up the Wii remotes and taking out the CD.

I walked over to the door leading out to the garage. It was down the hall that was by the stairs. The garage although, smelled like lots of oil and I always held my breath when I walked into it.

"Candle, before you walk come back inside. Creg wants to tell us something," Zach called to me. He was hanging out of the door.

"OK," I turned around and walked back inside, I silently let my breath back in.

"Candle, there you are," Creg said as he turned to me. Everyone was lined up at the doorway into that hall I was talking about," Irene, the kids, and I want to give each of you a gift for protecting our kids at the school and for, well, saving the world. At least when you come to that."

I opened my mouth slightly to say, we might say the world. But stopped, everyone was in a happy mode. I didn't want to ruin that.

"First for Sapphire, we give you a jar of Blue fire. The fire of the Blue Dragon. Lighting's fire. We hope that this will help in your studies to become a master Fire bender," he said, I saw Sam nod to Sapphire and she smiled back. The jar or really almost closed bowl was blue. Inside of it and slightly coming out was blue flames.

"Next is Mara, we give you the Book of Secrets," he gave her a very old book. She opened it to a random page.

"It's empty," she looked up at him. All he did was smile and walk away.

"Zach, this is space rock, it was given to Toph Bei fong by Sokka as a gift after sword training," he handed Zach a piece of rock. It was a black color. When Zach picked it up he laughed a little and started to mold it into different shapes and things.

I laughed a little too, and so did Dylan as he high-five him.

"Alex, you're mom wanted me to give you this when you were of age," he said as he handed Alex a necklace. It had wooden balls all round the rope that held it together. Then in the middle of the wooden balls was a circle of wood with three swirls on it, the circle was hanging of the wooden necklace. Hanging of the wooden circle was three strips of string. Alex held it in his hand, like he was trying to remember something.

Soon he gave up and said thank you in a quiet voice and backed next to Zach.

"Gabe, I made this in the forge down in the tunnels below our house," he handed Gabe a sword. It was simple really, though the end of the sword curved around like a butter knife. The part where you hold it was leather bond and had a sliver metal piece coming up like you were dripping it on to the top of it. Then leading up onto the sword was a golden line curving up slightly and thinning out and stopping in a circle.

"Wow," Gabe said looking at it, it took him about 15 seconds before he even started to reach ed grab it and even 5 seconds after hesitating to pick it up.

"Now, Candle. This is a violin that was carved by my great grandmother. She was a natural at playing that violin. I am passing it down to you, as a thank you gift," Irene said as she handed my the case. I almost didn't take it, but then I grabbed it. I knelt down and opened the case.

The violin was the color of a river blue, dark and flowing. The color started to get lighter as it went up to the pegbox and scroll. I smiled slightly, I wanted to pick it up and start to play it, but instead I closed the case.

"Thank you, I am sorry we can't stay longer," I said as I looked at everyone.

"We understand," Irene smiled.

"We will come back someday and see how these guys have grown," Sapphire laughed as she looked at Sam, even though he was the oldest Dylan was taller than him.

"We can't wait to see you next time," Rosemary said as she turned to me and smiled. She put her finger on her chest and went down to her stomach, then she went up to her arm. The three symbols of air, your spirit, your core, and your flow of your blood. Then she turned to Alex and did the same thing. He answered and the same gesture.

"Well we should get going," Creg said as he grabbed his keys.

"Yeah, we can't waste any more time," Alex said looking at his watch. We all laughed and I rolled my eyes.

We walked outside to the car and got in. Just like the day we arrived it was gloomy like it was going to rain. About an hour down the road it did, but it wasn't like that rain we met when we came. Made by waterbenders on his side. No it was a rain saying goodbye.


	18. Chapter 18

Thea's POV.

I was opening that gate for the Gronckle dragon. When I saw everyone come in the arena. Hiccup turned around surprised to see everyone. He hadn't heard me tell Astrid to go get the gang.

"You are wise to seek out the world most deadly weapon," Tuffnut said moving his hand in front of his face," it's me," he finish and then Snotlout punched him out of the way.

"I love this plan!" he said as I was getting the deadly Nadder out of its cage.

"I didn't-," Hiccup was cut off by Ruffnut.

"Your crazy," and then I open a connection with Hiccup to hear the last part," I like that," Ruffnut whispered. I looked over to Hiccup and he was shocked.

"So what are we going to do?" Astrid asked and Hiccup and I smiled.

I walked up to lever outside of the arena. I looked down to Hiccup and he nodded I pulled the lever and watched as the door slowly opened. I ran back down to watch Hiccup go inside. I watched as he slowly walked in and then slowly walk back out. Then Hiccup came into full view and everyone but me gasped.

I walked over to the other dragons to make sure they didn't attack the nightmare. Snotlout started to whimper and leaned down to grab a tip of a spear. I was about to walk over and take it away but Astrid stop him. I smiled at her when she looked up.

Hiccup approached Snotlout and he started to back away from the Nightmare. Some kind of tough man you are Snotlout I thought to him and he looked over at me red faced. Then as Hiccup reached him hand out to him he went deathly white. He pulled his hand back and I ran over.

"It's OK Snotlout, he probably most likely won't bite your head off," I grimaced.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. I grimaced once again.

Hiccup lightly put Snotlout's hand on top of the Nightmare's nose. Then the NIghtmare started to purr.

"See told you," I said and he laughed and smiled.

"Wait where are you going?" he asked me and Hiccup as we walked over to a box.

"You might need something to hold onto," Hiccup smiled, then everyone realized the dragons I had pulled out.

'''''

"OK Astrid, I think you would be best with the deadly Nadder," I explained to her," the way you get her to trust you is to go around to her back side and let her spike up her spikes. Then slowly smooth down the spikes and she will start to trust you," I explained and she nodded that she understood.

Astrid slowly made her way around the Nadder, like I said the spikes shot up. Astrid slowly moved around the dragon trying not make it mad. She maneuvered around the Nadder and reached out to put the spikes down. The dragon started to growl and she hesitated and looked at me. I nodded.

'It's OK, she won't hurt you,' I thought to her. Astrid nodded and started to smooth the spikes down. Soon the dragon realized she was not a threat, but a friend. So I walked over to Fishlegs.

"Come on Fishlegs. Your turn," I said.

"You know what, I think I am going to watch the twins," Fishlegs said nervously.

"Come on Fishlegs," I said pulling him," you know the Gronckle is not that aggressive," I tried.

"Uh, well no. The Gronckle is part of the bolder class-," I cut him off.

"Oh shut up. You know that I know that," I pulling him over to the Gronckle. Fishlegs started to whimper like Snotlout did but worse.

"OK like Hiccup did in the arena, when you want to make friends with the Gronckle you need to scratch the dragon and then make your way for the chin," I explained.

"O-Ok," he hesitated. He reached out to the Gronckle and started to scratch the dragon. He started to make his down to the chin, while the Gronckle moved in happiness. Then he reached the chin and like I explained the Gronckle fell dead on the floor and started to purr.

"Ha, HA!" Fishlegs screamed out in victory. I walked over to Hiccup. He was struggling with the twins.

"No, no. Give him the fish don't throw the fish," Hiccup tried," Help me," he pleaded.

"Yeah. I think you would need it," I grinned and walked over to the twins.

"Here give the fish over here," I held out my hand and they gave me the fish, that both of them had. I put a shield around them and gave it back.

"Here they will only pop when they are in the dragon's mouth," I said and handed the fish back.

"Sweet we got our own dragon!" Tuffnut said and then they threw the fish up at their mouth's and the dragons swallowed them whole in delight. The dragons came down to rub and purr at Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"Wow that was awesome, I think magic and dragons work together great," He smiled, I smiled back.

"Hey Hiccup the Gronckle wants more fish," Fishlegs said.

"Yeah so does the Nightmare," Snotlout yelled.

"Yeah," everyone else said walking over.

"Well OK, there is fish over here. One basket for each dragon," Hiccup and I walked over and picked up a basket for each dragon. After we were done we watched and help everyone with their dragons.

"So... should I call GreyStream?" I asked Hiccup.

"Yeah, that would be a great idea," He smiled and went to help Snotlout.

'Hey GreyStream would you mind coming down?" I asked her through my mind.

'Yeah sure. Is there fish?' she asked.

'Yeah,' I said.

I went over to the spare basket of fish and started to open it when I heard her yell.

"Night Fury! Get down!" Snotlout yelled and hid behind of the Nightmare. Everyone else did the same except Astrid. She walked up to GreyStream

"Hey GreyStream, how has it been," Astrid asked.

"Astrid get back it's a Night Fury!" Snotlout yelled.

"Hey guys it's OK it's just GreyStream, she's the other Night Fury that Hiccup caught," I explained and then GreyStream started to purr because Astrid was rubbing her chin," She has a helped me develop my powers. She also has a telepathic connection with me," I explained as everyone stared in awe.

"So if that's your Night Fury where's Hiccup's?" Tuffnut asked and I face planted my face into my hand. I wanted to punch him so hard so he whimpered and bled.

"Tuffnut, let me put this in a way you'll understand," he nodded," Hiccup's dragon has been kidnapped, we are going to get Toothless, Hiccup's dragon," I said and he nodded.

"Great, lets get going we have a lot of ground to cover," Hiccup said got on Astrid's dragon and I got on mine. We flew out everyone was a little wobbly from first flight and everything but overall it was OK.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked me.

"I am. I promise to be there," I told Hiccup, you see I wanted to stay behind just by a little so I could get some water in these bags. I just thought I might need it.

"OK, well we'll see you there," He said and they flew off.

It only took me about 10 minutes to fill up the bags.

'You know your brother is going to dragon island, you realize that he might die from the queen,' GreyStream said.

"You have no hope for Hiccup. He will prove everyone wrong about the dragons and we will rewrite history, just like the prophecy said," I told her then became sad," I just thought of something Gothi, she hesitated like she didn't want to say something. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Do you think something will happen t-to Hiccup or me?" I asked her.

'I don't know, do I look like I can tell the future?" I sort of smiled,' Look Thea you are best mage I know, and you will know when the time comes for the prophecy to go into action. Prophecies aren't always going to happen right away. Lets just get this water and meet up with Hiccup,' she finished.

"You always have a way to cheer me up," I said and flew to dragon island as fast as we could.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

When we got there the whole armada was there. And that giant dragon, unfortunately he was about to eat Astrid. I saw Hiccup flying down above me. He hit the dragon with an all on plasma bolt and Astrid screamed as she fell. We flew in and grabbed her.

"Did you get her?" I asked and GreyStream looked down and smiled.

'Yeah,' and we flew close to the ground and put her down. I heard her in my mind.

'Go!' she said like she was out of breath.

'Thanks,' I said back.

'Thea! Lets see if that thing can use its wings,' he said and we flew down.

'You have just earned the title awesome,' I said back as we broke the sound barrier. Then we both shot plasma and the dragon fell. As soon as we did that we flew off in to the maze of rocks. That did slow him down, it turned out that he could use his wings and when he encountered a rock he flew right through it; it exploded. We flew around for awhile just trying to avoided it, then I heard Hiccup.

'Time to disappear,' he thought and we nodded. We flew up into the clouds, they were dark from and the ash from the ground. It made it easy to hide in. Just before the dragon could reach us we disappeared into the clouds. He was confused for awhile while we flew around be the silent that a night fury is. Then like on a given signal our dragons both shot plasma. It made the dragon even more confused and then he shot out fire.

We both flew next to each other. As we were trying to avoid the fire our tails.

'Thea, this was not in my plan, but I have a back up. Follow my lead OK,' he thought.

'Got yah,' I thought back.

We flew into the holes of the dragons wing and Hiccup yelled at him, or I think the dragon was a him.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" Hiccup questioned in an awesome way.

The dragon saw us and got angry again. We flew down and he followed, then I knew what Hiccup was doing. Like Toothless did with that terrible terror, we're going to shot the dragon with fire.

"Hold GreyStream,I think you know what we're doing," I said to her. I wait about 3 seconds and I yelled," Now," me and Hiccup said at the same time. Both GreyStream and Toothless turned around and shot plasma into the mouth of the dragon. Which reacted to the fire he was about to breath. I saw that he saw the ground and when he opened his wings they started to rip while fire ate them.

Just 500 feet before we hit the ground our dragons finally turned around and spread out their wings. We shot back from the wind and flew up the dragon as blow up from hitting the ground. Then ,the worst that could possibly happen, our tails fell off. Hiccup screamed NO and got hit by the tail.

"Hiccup!" I yelled as I put a shield around me and tried to put one around Hiccup, but I was just to unfocused by the shock. I watch as he fell into the fire and Toothless flying after him. Then all I could see was fire as I fell because my tail fell off to.

Soon everything was darkness and then grey. I flew around looking for Hiccup, yelling his name.

"Hiccup! Hiccup! HICCUP!" I yelled and then I heard Dad and him yelling for Hiccup. I followed the sound of his voice. There was silence and I thought the worst, had Hiccup died because I couldn't put a shield on him. Had Dad just given up and we will never find Hiccup or will I have to visit his grave every day to say I was sorry and felt guilty. Or even will I have to learn how to talk to the dead and read signs so I can see what he says in the dead world.

Then I saw dad and he was hugging Hiccup.

"He's alive!" I almost fell off my dragon to go see him.

"Hiccup!" I exclaimed as my shield, that I had still on me for no reason, flicker off and I ran over to him.

"Thank you for saving my son," Dad said patting Toothless.

"Well most of him," Gobber said walking up. I looked over at his leg and almost had a heart attack. His foot wasn't there and bleeding heavily.

"Oh, Gods!" I said and pulled out my water. I don't really remember what happen it's all a bit of a blur, but I think I pulled out my water and it started to glow. I bent it onto his leg and it glowed brighter and then blackness came. Only weeks later did I realize that my water had healed his wound so he wouldn't die of blood loss. And only did I realize that was what Gothi was trying to keep from me.

'''''''''''''''''''''

I woke up to the sound of crashing. I saw a giant black blur jumping around and I thought I was going crazy, I sat up immediately and then a black mass jumped onto me; throwing me back.

"Gr-greayStream?" I asked.

'Yep, I am so glad you're awake, you've been laying there for about 3 weeks. With no movement,' she added and I almost jumped out of bed until I saw Hiccup. He was on the end of his bed looking at the ground, I followed his eyes and saw, well his foot wasn't there but a metal foot. Then I realized he had lost his foot in the battle between us and the dragon.

'You did that,' GreyStream told me.

'What? I put a metal leg on him?" I asked confused.

'No, but you did heal him. When you saw hiccup you got off me like I was a death bomb and then you pulled out the water we had collected, it started to glow; you put it on his leg, it glowed brighter. After you were done you passed out. Your Dad had a complete freak out, but soon the man with the weird thing hanging from his nose reassured him that you were still alive. They scavenged up the last of the ships and sailed home. You and Hiccup were constantly watched by us and your Dad,' she finished.

"Wait so I did do that?" I asked.

"You did, you put a metal leg on me?" Hiccup asked.

"Well no, but I did stop you from bleeding to death," I said.

"Thea you have now earned my respect," he said while he tried to stand up he tripped and fell and as he did that I got up really quickly to help him. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground.

"Thea!" Hiccup said and GreyStream helped me up. We both used our dragons to make our way to the door. Hiccup opened it and a monstrous nightmare screamed. Hiccup slammed the door.

"Toothless stay here," he said and I said the same to GreyStream. We opened the door again and I heard Snotlout's voice.

"Come guys, get ready, here we go!" he yelled and I saw the Twins, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Astrid fly off on there dragons. We stepped outside and there were dragons everywhere. No fighting though just dragons. People riding them, people feeding them, and people tending to them

"I knew it we're dead," Hiccup said and then Dad came up laughing, but he looked tired from not sleeping for a long time.

"No, but you gave it your best shot," Dad said leading us down as Hiccup limped.

"Hey look it's Hiccup and Thea!" someone yelled down in the village square. Then everyone came running up and surrounded us. Dad was the first to speak.

"Turns out all we needed was just a little more this," he gestured to all of us.

"You just gestured to all of us!" Hiccup exclaimed and Dad nodded. Astrid came up behind him and punched him.

"That's for scaring me," she said.

"What, is it always going to be like this-," and then Astrid kissed him.

"I could get used to it," he smiled and so did Astrid. Then I heard the door open.

"Night Furys get down!" someone yelled and then Toothless and Greystream came out and knocked over half of the crowd. Everyone laughed, and then Gobber came over holding... knew tails! One was red for Hiccup and one was golden for me, they both had a Night Fury head sewn on with white string for Hiccup and blue for me.

"Want to go on a ride?" Astrid asked.

"Of course, what type of question is that?" I said and everyone laughed. We walked over to an open plot of land and hooked up or saddles. Gobber even put padding on my feet holders for my bare feet. I smiled at that. It was soft blue padding like my eye color. Hiccup played with his knew foot holder for his metal foot for a few seconds and then we looked around.

Narrator POV.

'Thea speaks'

"This is berk it snows nine months of the year and hails the other three," Hiccup, Thea, and Astrid fly between houses," Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people even more so," Fishlegs joins them.

"The only upsides are the pets, while some places might have ponies, or parrots" everyone else from the gang joins them," We have... Dragons," Thea finishes and they fly off into the sky with Hiccup spinning around each other.


	19. Chapter 19

Candle's POV.

The men at the camp were overjoyed to see us. We told about what happened, leaving out the big fight. We told them how we had found a waterbender who could help us. We also asked if they had a plane to take us back like the president had said. They said that they did and had used it to report back to the president once before.

I felt bad about that, that the president had been told that we might have died. Though I told them not to tell the president that we were alive before anyone could speak up after they told us. I was sure that they questioned me but they didn't speak up.

That night went by quickly and before I knew it we were going on a plane again.

Unfortunately for me it was a plane. The moment the thing started to move I started to feel sick. Though this time I made sure that Mara didn't knock me unconscious. We were going to Italy, were part of the Alps were. Zach had an Uncle who was going to get us stay, though I was almost positive that our arrival was going to be a huge surprise. Accounting that most of the United States thinks we're dead.

Alex said that he hoped that he spoke English or Zach and I would never get anywhere with our training. I agreed, then I heard Sapphire speak up and said that she knew a little of Italian, but probably not enough I get us anywhere special.

As for Zach, well he was stunned to figure out that he had an uncle in Italy. Gabe was on the ground laughing when he figured that out. I couldn't help but smile too at that.

"Ugh I feel like I am being plunged into a world of pain," I groaned. I was once again sitting in two seats. Each one of us took one while one of the men who was at the camp flew us back. He was a very nice man, he was black and turned out that he loved coconuts. His name was Nick, he also had cool stories about when he was a child before he came to America and how he worked his way up into the government.

"Do you want me to knock you unconscious?" Mara appeared above me. She had chosen the seat in front of me.

"No! I am so not going through that again!" I yelled at her, she just laughed and kept an evil grin on her face as she turned back around.

The flight was supposed to go into the night. We had already been on here for about 4 hours. Gabe kept on asking me why I got so sick on planes and why I was afraid of them since I had been riding since I was 2. I just almost yelled back that he almost gotten himself killed because of a plane. And so did the rest of us. He just laughed it off and acted like his old cocky self, it made me smile to see that he was so strong.

I could see the twilight outside my window. I focused on the sky and setting sun. trying not to think about how high I was or what was below me. The colors in the sky were amazing, nothing like I had saw in Georgia. It had bright oranges, yellows, and reds. the sun was setting under the sea (or so it looked). It seemed as if the sea was eating it. The moon was out not much after it had finished. It was an bigger than usual. I guess because we were up in the air and not on the ground.

Before I went to bed I remembered a story Mom would tell me when I went to sleep. when I was about 4 years old, that was all I would ask for.

The Sun and The Moon loved each so much. They were in perfect harmony, and both watched over the earth as if it was their child. The Moon loved the Sun much that every night he would die so The Sun could breath again. And every sunset The Sun would die so The Moon could breath again.

The two soon cast themselves into man and woman. The woman loved the daytime and would give anything to sit in the sun each day. The man loved the moon, he would stay up every night so he could study the moon. One day at the Market the man and woman met and as the phrase goes 'love at first sight' they fell in love. And lived happily ever after as The sun and The Moon.

I fell asleep thinking about that.

Once again I was woken up by yelling. Alex was yelling in my ear to wake up. I almost punched him in the face, but I held back.

"Candle! Wake up!" he yelled over and over. I groaned and sat up.

"What do you want?" I asked, well more like moaned.

"Well lets see, if we don't hurry and get off this plane it will explode," I sat up straight in an instant," just kidding."

he was laughing so hard that he fell into the seat across from me. I slapped him in the face which only made him laugh harder. I was so angry at him, that of Gabe hadn't held him back, I was sure I have drawn blood.

we had landed at an airport. Though, I had no idea where we were, there were lots of people running everywhere. And some were yelling.

"Candle, and friends. It had been a pleasure to get to know you and that you are alive," One of the three men had said. We all shaked hands and said our goodbyes. They promised not to tell that we were alive, until we had told the president himself.

Sapphire was the one to get us out of the airport. Though the person we asked, was very confused about us. He kept on looking at us as if he should know us, but soon answered our question on how to get out.

The airport was bigger than we thought. It was near the edge of the border of Italy, where the Alps dipped in. I could see the Alps the minute was got out. Mara instantly pulled out her phone and took a picture. But what really hit me was that they were replacing the pavement, it smelled terrible. Turned around everyone looked like they didn't like the smell either.

Sapphire said we should go ask around to see if anyone knows the Scars. Zach was eager to meet new family and stuff, but I could see that he was nervous. While she did that we went and tried to find a currency exchange place. Mara said there would be one in the airport and went to go find it. Gabe, Zach, Alex, and I were left waiting on a bench in the middle of a busy city. We had no idea where we were, what our next meal would be, and when we would have so help. Though we weren't as bad off as we could be. We still had money, clothes, ways to contact people, and I could still play music.

"Has Sapphire come back?" I asked, I was slouching on the bench with my eyes closed. I was still feeling uneasy about the plane, and I dreaded about getting into a car. Practically anything that would move would make me feel bad.

"No, can we move into the shade?" Zach asked. The sun was out, though sometimes it would be covered by a cloud. Being back to where it is summer, though turning into fall, was killing us. We grabbed all our stuff and walked to the park. I was glad we even found one.

We all laid down under a large tree, well more like clasped. The shade felt nice and cooling.

"How are we going to get to your uncle's house? So far Sapphire has not come back saying that some knew them or where they lived. Did that letter say anything about your uncle?" Alex started to question Zach, I knew that he was very concerned on this subject. He got us out to Yellow Stone on time, always felt protective over everyone, and was shy at first. He wasn't going to take we're lost as an answer.

"No, I checked. Lets just see what Sapphire has to say on the subject before we start making plans," Zach said, he seemed pretty relaxed not wanting to care about anything in the world. Alex had this look in his eye, almost as if he was mad at Zach. I passed over it really quickly.

About 15 minutes later Mara came back with the money. I hadn't really paid attention to money when I was in school so I had no idea what she was talking about. Though what I did understand was that we did have a good deal of money. Enough to buy some food and if we needed to a way of transport to Zach's uncle. Alex started to talk with Mara about the money and they started to go into their own little world.

Zach looked to be passed out on the grass and Gabe was looking at his sword handle.

'Hey what are you going to do with that?'

'i don't know. As far as I know, I will never have a chance to make a blade of the handle,'

'Well maybe Zach's uncle can help you and then you can teach me,' He looked up and smiled. i could see that he was very worried about something. Maybe it was because he hadn't really been able to use a sword lately and he didn't have a really good sword.

"I'm back!" Sapphire came running up, she looked slightly tired, but ready to move on.

"Great, did you find someone who knew my uncle?" Zach sat up really quickly.

"Yeah, well I think your going to like this surprise," she was grinning like a fool and jumping up and down," Come on he will meet you at the beginning of the trail."

We all got up and divided the money Mara had managed for us. We gave her all the money we had left, it seemed as though she was thinking about this very carefully. Setting it out on the grass in groups of each piece and then dividing each one into 6 groups. In about 15 minutes we all had money.

Sapphire had a piece of paper telling us directions to the trail. As we got closer to the mountain I could see it towering over us. We soon got under a shadow blocking out the sun and anything you could see in the sky.

On a bench sat a an older man, he seemed to to in his late 40's. He sat there smoking an old piped, making smoke rings and laughing on how they came out. The man seemed to a very down to earth man. He was wearing a many pocketed jacket, and jeans that went just above his ankles. His hair was put up in a bun on top of his head, his hair looked like it might have been a dark black in the past, it was now a lighter black that had strips of gray going through them.

"Hello, I am back," Sapphire waved her hand up in the air. The man looked up and cracked a smile.

"I am glad to see you all," he hugged Sapphire and thanked her for bringing us to him real quick before he continued," Zach my boy, your mother would be so proud that you have found. I am your Uncle."

Zach stood frozen for I am sure seemed to him like forever. Then he started to smile, he smiled the brightest I had ever seen him smile. His uncle walked up to him and hugged him, giving a good pat on the back and laughing when Zach stumbled over.

"Now you lot. We're going to hike up to my house," he smiled and turned around to start. I looked at my friends, they seemed ready Zach did the most. I looked up at the man and he was already almost out of sight.


	20. Chapter 20

Candle's POV.

We walked up the trail, it had been about 15 minutes since we had started. Though it was all uphill. Zach's uncle had said that he lived up on a ledge that overlooked the city.

"So what are you doing here. You mom told me that you would be coming sometime in the next year or two. It seemed like she was in a hurry so she didn't tell me everything," Zach's Uncle asked.

"Oh well... um Mara tell Uncle Henry what we are doing," Zach looked at her hoping she would tell the story.

"Ok fine I'll do it. So do you remember the war that happened 200 years ago?" Mara asked.

"Why yes, I know lots of information on that. I actually study it for a hobby. Everything that happened up until now," he said.

"Awesome. So that darkness that killed Aang is back. He has been chasing us across the world, and he must had have someone tell the British government about us because they are after us now. We have many close calls, all which we barely made out of. What we have noticed is that they do have benders of all type air, earth, fire, and water and that they where mask," Mara explained.

"I see, well you are looking for answers right? Well you've come to the right place. Follow me we are going to stray from the trail for a while," He took a shape left and walked quickly into the forest. We almost ran after him he was walking so fast. Almost as if he was worried about something or someone.

We walked into this cave. The outside made a sorta arch shape there was a dent in the top right corner. After about 15 feet the light started to go away.

"Um, the Mr. Henry the light is going out," Alex said as we walked on.

"I know, we aren't supposed to have light to find our way," he laughed when he saw what little we could all see of Alex's face. It looked really confused and part of me wondered if he was getting scared.

Seconds after Henry laughed the whole cave lit up. Purple crystals lined the walls and ceiling, lighting the whole way and. Henry said that this cave was called the cave of the 2 lovers. Long ago there were 2 lovers from 2 different towns. The 2 towns hated each other, so to meet they made tunnels underground, the crystals lit the way so that it people came in with torches or lanterns they would be lost. They made these tunnels with the power that the badgers taught them, earthbending.

The 2 towns went into war and the man was called off to fight. Once the war was over the woman looked for him hard. Then she was told that the man had died in the fight, her depression hit her. She unleashed the power that she had learned, and created the mountains. Her power sent so far that she almost destroyed the 2 towns. She stopped just before then, the tunnels they had made remained untouched. Their names were Oma and Shu.

"Henry where are we going?" Gabe asked.

"You want to know the story right? I am taking you to a place in these tunnels that can show you," he said. That was all that was said for the next hour. The tunnel curved and takes sharp turns every once and a while. But it never went up hill.

Then I saw I really bright light. Instead of purple it was blue. As we got closer my eyes were starting to squint, and the glare on my glasses was not helping. Henry seemed to be fine, I fact he seemed to almost be cool with the light.

We entered the place where the light was coming from, it was a huge cavern. Filled top to bottom with pictures and words that I couldn't read. I turned around and saw that the light was gone, almost as if we passed through a barrier. I guess it was one way for light.

"Come, sit down in a circle. You are about to learn the history of the man you are going to fight," Henry looked serious now, like there was something we were missing. We all sat down and kept silent, no one dared to make a sound.

"Long ago when benders were big in numbers and it wasn't uncommon to meet one, in fact it was almost unheard of to not know a bender. When there were whole nations made out of them. They all lived in peace, for the Avatar had brought peace," Henry started, all at once when the words left his mouth the pictures on the walls started to move and jump off. They floated around the the room. Instead of the black charcoal they were drawn in they glowed blue.

"Candle, your arms," Sapphire whispered to me. I looked down, they were also glowing. Brighter than they have ever.

"Aang was the Avatar at the time," Henry continued as if nothing was happening," He had brought peace and had created a new city on the edge of the earth kingdom. To us it is now known Britain. But there was someone in the city who didn't like his ways, he was a non bender and believed that all benders should be gone from the world. He joined the army against the benders, there was almost half of the city's population in the group and they were growing. Lots of cities and small towns were joining them.

Over time and years they began growing, with this man at the center of it. They had about 400,000 men and women at their peak. They were starting to kill benders, first it was small things, but then they started to kill of important people. The metal benders who were police, the fire benders who supplied electricity. And even farther up the ranks, but no one could find them after they did it. Faster than the benders that would clear away what ever had been left to hide their escape.

Then Aang decided to act. It was at a council meeting on a cold winter day in the middle of December. The most important benders of their time were there all talking about that one man. Then the doors of the hall burst open, cold air and snow rushed in. Out of the snow stepped one man, he was wearing a metal mask. The eyes glowed purple, the color of the rebellion. Everyone was still and then cries of agony went out all at once, every person was screaming like they were being stabbed with a hot knife. And then it stopped, everyone dropped dead on the floor," Henry looked dead serious, almost as if he was going to kill something.

"The Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko were dead. Sokka was dead soon after. Every bender in the land was put into labor, either to be sold to powerful non benders or to be killed. Very, very few escaped, only about 2% of the population of the benders escaped and settled down in very remote dangerous areas," And at the moment he finished the story and the pictures died and returned to the wall to there dark and gloomy state. The room became as lifeless as a skeleton in a coffin.

I looked down the hallway we came. The crystals were glowing gray, as if all the power had gone.

"Come we must be off, Maria is waiting with dinner," Henry got up, adjusted his backpack, and started out. we didn't even move an inch. He looked back at us.

"Come now, you are acting like you had just seen a ghost," he laughed.

"Um, sir. We did just see a ghost," Gabe said, he looked slightly pale.

"Well, maybe you did, but maybe you just say the past. Both are the same and both are different," he winked at us and started walking down again,"come on or you won't be eating dinner for the few days, Zach, Candle."

The sound of dinner and not being able to have it woke me up I guess, because the next thing I knew I was bolting to catch up with him, along with the rest of my friends.


	21. Chapter 21

Candle's POV.

I was running, running from something. It was dark and the buildings around me were falling apart. It looked like New York, but I wasn't sure. I was running too fast to notice anything. I was running, running to where? I don't know, something was chasing me. It was dark and fast, too fast for me to see. How was I out running it? I also don't know, it must have been going slow for me, but why?

I ran into a park, Central Park, form the sign. It was New York, the empire state building could be seen from here. I stopped to catch my breath, the thing had caught up with me. After all I ran through... allies, trash, and fallen buildings. I cut myself while doing it. My ankle throbbed again. Now I limped trying to run again. I probably made it halfway across the park until I fell. Yeah real cliche, but I fell. I had enough time to turn over and look at the thing that was about to eat me.

It did. In one bite, the thing was bigger on the inside. I fell down its throat into it's stomach. I must have went into another dimension because floating in darkness is not the same as being in a pit of stomach acid being digested. To eyes opened right in front of my face. The color was purple and they were slanted. I knew them, they were the eyes of...

"Candle!" his voice was quite.

"Messi," I said, I had not seen that spirit in probably 2 months after I sent him back to the spirit world.

"Hello child," he said, he voice was soft again. Almost as if he was wiser.

"Messi, what are you doing here?" I asked him, I wasn't mad, but I wasn't happy.

He smiled and his full body appeared. He was smaller, maybe because he wanted to talk to me face to face not in his hand.

"I am here to bring you news. I had good and bad," his smile went away," the bad news is that you have less than a year to master your next 2 elements. Your enemy is growing stronger every time he kills a bender. I fear he will be too strong when you face him."

"And what's the good news? It better be good," I said.

"I am on your side, me and my whole army of Kar, as you call them. We will be fighting on your side the day of the battle," Messi smile again. It was warmer this time not as fake as it was when he first smiled at me.

"Thank you , Messi," I said. The picture started to fade away, it was then that I realized that that was all a dream. What still nagged at the back of my head was what that thing was that had swallowed me. I opened my eyes to find Zach shaking.

"Candle, wake up! Dinner," he was yelling.

"If you don't stop shaking me right now, I will punch you in the gut," I yelled back, I was not a happy person when I wake up. Especially when they wake me up by shaking.

"OK, OK. Sorry, but dinner is done. Gabe said you would be hungry and told me to go wake you up. He was peeling carrots last time I saw him," Zach let me go and was now sitting at the edge of my bed. I slept in a room of the loft. You see the layout of the house is like this. When you come in through the hard oak door you see a loft above the living room, in the back of the living room was a french door leading out to a deck. To the left when you come in is a kitchen. It's huge a U shape that had a island in the middle. Off to the right was three doors. 1 was a bed room, 1 was a bathroom, and the last was a laundry room.

Up on the second level, which had the loft. There was 3 rooms on each side of the building. One was a full bath, and the others were bedrooms. Zach and Gabe were sharing a room for the time we were here. They didn't seem to mind though.

"Yeah I'm coming,"I slowly crawled out of bed and collapsed on the floor. I was still tried, I slowly pushed myself across the floor with my feet.

"You will never get anywhere that way," Gabe was standing at the door now. I guess he had finished the carrots.

"I am coming, I just don't wake up as fast as some of you," I sigh. That was a weakness of mine, it took forever to wake me up.

"You know that at the speed you're going you'll make it to dinner in the next year," Gabe laughed, I glare at him. Then he came over picked me up onto my feet and then pick me up onto his back. I had not had a piggy back ride, that was not running from certain death, since before I had become the Avatar.

"Yay!" I said sleepily. He walked out of my room, with me on his back.

"You know, your ankle looks a little swollen, do you think you hit it in your sleep?" he asked me as we went down the steps.

"Um, I don't know," I looked at it, it indeed looked swollen. The first thing that came across my mind was my dream. That dream I had, was a dream I had been having for days on end.

He put me down at the end of the stairs and I walked to dinner. Everyone was already there and they were talking about the stew. I sat down next to Mara, she was reading a book. The only one not talking. I mean even Gabe and Zach were asked a question the first second they sat down.

Dinner was a stew with mash potatoes. It was one of the best things that my mom would make, it pained me a little to think about her, but I still ate anyway. It tasted great, and we got to know Henry and Maria really well. Zach was overjoyed to see them and was even more so when he learned that he had a cousin.

"He's usually out in the garden or walking around. She doesn't go too far though, in case we need her or she needs us," Maria said, she had long thick black hair that went down to her back, there was some gray strips coming in. She had light hazel eyes, with specks of gold in them.

Soon after that we all stood up and went our own ways. Henry had told me and Zach that we would be starting training tomorrow bright and early. I sighed and hoped that it wouldn't be as hard as I thought it would be.

I walked up to my room, Henry and Maria had thankfully had wifi, so my tablet actually worked. My phone was charging for the first time in 2 months when it died in the Amazon. I was sure the rest of my friends felt the same about their phones. I quickly texted my dad and decided to go out for a walk.

The outside air was crisp, a lot better than the smell of the town down below. According to Henry this was the only town in the Alps that a plane went to. We were in a valley between 4 mountains, I guess he was right. I could see three other mountains pretty clear from here. There house sat on a cliff, and a pretty big one at that. The cliff could probably hold three other house the same size as Henry's. The grounds were huge, not counting all the trails in the rock they owned. Grass and vegetation flourished all around, flower beds, small trees, and shrubs that looked like they shouldn't be there grew.

I had walked so far in the grounds that I couldn't see the house. This placed that I had discovered seem spiritual. I walked quietly around, part of me felt like I shouldn't make a sound. Well until something touched me on my shoulder. I yelped and jumped, turning around to see what had done that.

"Shhh, Candle. We need to be quiet," It was Zach, again I was a little agitated with him, but quickly forgave him.

" Yeah I noticed that, you could be a lot better at telling me you're there than tapping me each time. Anyway, do you know where we are. I didn't know a garden like this could exist in this type of altitude,"

"That's because it doesn't," I jumped once again. I new voice was behind me. He was about the same height as Zach, maybe a little taller, about 5'7. I looked up at his face, he had coal black hair that was shaggy and looked as if it hadn't been brushed. He had sharp gray eyes that didn't really focuses on anything. He was wear black shorts that had lots of pocket and a dark green shirt.

"What do you mean?" Zach spoke up after he and I recovered from the shock.

"This plants and animals you see here don't normally grown here. It is either cold or not the right climate to grow something in this small valley. As you travel farther up you will notice the greenery go away to be replaced by rock, stone and snow," He explained.

"Why does it only grow here though. Do you tend to them?" I asked this time.

"Yes, and my parents. My family has been keeping this garden alive for generations. The art has been passed down through my family," he smiled.

"Why have you been keeping it alive?" we were now sitting on the ground, dusk was approaching.

"Because it's a spiritual garden. Made for the spirits when they pass through, though they don't usually do it anymore-," he was cut off by the voice of Henry calling us in. I couldn't see the house, and I was pretty surprised that Henry could yell that loud.

"Come," He said.

"What's your name?" Zach asked.

"Aldo," was all he said. By the time we got back to the house it was getting really dark. Aldo seemed to disappear after that. Zach retreated to his room. I also walked up to my room. I was tired from the day. A lot had happened, the man we have to fight is powerful, more powerful than I thought he was. It scared me to think about what I would have to defeat, I don't want to do it.

I jumped up onto my bed, it was big and awesome, but no matter how tired I was I could not sleep. The window in my room was still open, and the roof went under my window. That's when I realized that I was on the roof. Looking up at the stars, they were big and twinkling. One happy thing in the universe.

"Pretty aren't they?" I jumped, once again today because of that voice. I guess I was bad at noticing people.

"Yeah, I guess. They're bigger than they are anywhere else I've been. Though I think the best stars were in the amazon. You could see everything, not that I knew most of the constellations. I don't even know most constellations in general. Can find the bigger dipper and the little dipper, I can't even find Orion's belt," I laughed trying to lighten the mood, Aldo seemed to be focused on something.

"Really?"

"Yeah, wait how did you get up here?" I looked back at my window, but would he really go through my room. I mean he could have, because I didn't even realize I was out here until I was out here.

"I got up a few moments ago, with earthbending. I made stairs, you seemed so focused on the stars I wasn't sure that I should say something. Seemed to scare you by accident," he smiled and looked at me. He was sitting with his legs hanging off the edge, while was sitting criss-crossed.

"Oh, well it's cool. I didn't know that you could earthbend. I knew Henry could, he might have mentioned it though...," I felt really embarrassed with myself. What if Henry had told me?

"Yeah, Dad taught me from the moment I made a pebble move by accident. I have gotten really good, but he has been keeping me on the basics, that's why I come out here at night and in the day. Since I am blind my parents think I can't handle things. I don't understand it, I have had a great education, I can speak Italian, English, and a little bit of French. But I can't understand why they think I am disabled!" he was yelling now, I felt bad for him. It explained why his eyes were misty.

"Your parents are blind right?"

"Yeah they see 20/20 all the time," he groaned.

"Well maybe why they don't understand is because of that. Maybe because they didn't expect to have a child that was blind, since they can see. And maybe they were afraid to hurt you if they pushed you too hard," I tried to word it good, but I wasn't sure I did my best.

"You don't get it you can see without glasses and you can see. No one I have never ever met anyone else who has had bad vision," he yelled at me.

"Aldo, I have bad vision. I took them off to go to bed, but as you can I can't see I don't have them on," I had a stern voice. I was fed up with him.

"What?"

"Yeah, you seen like a boy who knows everything at the first sight of you and then once you get to know you, you seem to not understand some things about life," I smiled softly, his eyes settle from a hard look to a soft look.

"I guess you're right, about me not know a lot," he looked away.

"No one knows everything. I don't even know what to do about my problem," I said, it almost pained me to think about what I have to go up to in less than 2 years. It seemed like a long time to some people, but to me it was just a timer counting down the days till it happens.

"Is it about where Dad took you to?" he looked almost excited to hear about a problem other than his.

"Uh, yeah. You see I'm the Avatar, and my friends are benders of every element. At the end of 2 years I have to fight this giant darkness that we learned about when we burned down our school. We have been to Yellowstone in the states where I learned how to mountain air bend. The Redwood Forest, also in the states, where I learned how to forest airbend. I met my dad there, who I thought was dead or gone. Then we met the president of the United States. After that we flew, again, to the Amazon Jungle, where I learned how to waterbend and met a spirit from the spirit world," he looked shocked at the last part.

" A spirit?! I have never met one!" he was jumping up and looked like he could touch the top of the world.

"Yeah, funny thing is, I banished him back to the spirit world," I rubbed the back of my head," and then talked to him in a dream and became friends with him. His name was Messi."

" Oh my. Candle, that proves something. I was so worried that they had stopped communicating with world again," he looked so relived.

"Again?" I asked,

"Yeah in Avatar Korra's time all the spirits had stopped talked to mortal people. They were trapped under the will of the Evil Spirit. I was worried that had happened again," he was touching the stars so happy.

"Yep!" I smiled, it was awesome to see Aldo happy again.

"I have to go, goodnight," Aldo yelled back as he ran across the front yard. I was stunned, but got over it. I felt drowsiness come over me right away and quickly climbed into bed.


	22. Chapter 22

"Wake up! Up! Up!" a voice was yelling at me from outside my door. I got up and ran right into the wall. I groaned and tried to find my glasses, my vision was getting worse, and I was sure I needed new glasses. I could probably get someone to take me to town to see if I could get new ones, or wait until we get back to the USA.

I started to get dressed and went down stairs. The sun's light was just starting to shine down on the valley. Henry was standing in the kitchen putting sausage, cheese, and crackers on a plate.

"Henry, what are you doing, it's barely 5," I told him, rubbing my eyes. I was not a morning person.

"What do you mean? Today is the day I teach you and your friend Zach earthbending. Now eat up, We aren't eating till the sun goes behind the mountain," he said smiling while I sat down at the table. At the time I didn't feel so hungry so I only ate because I knew I would feel hungry later.

"Come, come we want to be there by the time the sun is over the valley," Henry yelled back at Zach, Aldo, and me. We all had a pack on us carrying food, I questioned why we had brought enough to where we needed to bring four packs. Henry told us it was for food and water.

"Aldo? You're coming too?" Zach asked, he had turned around to the sound of running.

"Yeah, I am. I want a chance to get in some practice. Plus if I came any other day, I would have to hide so dad wouldn't see me," he smiled, Zach looked really confused, but I laughed.

The rest of the hike went by quickly and we arrived at this very flat platform almost like thig. Though it was surrounded by all rock, forming a crater. Rocks were everywhere, it seemed like an earthbender's haven.

"Right! Welcome to Rocce!" Henry said, we all walked in and gasped. Like I said it was huge," set your packs down here, we will eat after the sun goes behind the mountain," he pointed to the tallest part of the crater. I gasped it looked miles high from here, I suddenly became really hungry, knowing that I couldn't eat until the sun set.

"Uh.. this is going to be a long day...," I looked up at the sun, it was just rising over the crater.

"Line up! First we start with moving a rock!" Henry yelled, laughing to himself.

"What...!" Zach said, looking at the boulder in front of him. It was twice his size.

"Now, watch," Henry said. He got down low to the ground, his left foot was in front of him and his right in the back. He bent both of his knees outward, then pulled his arms back. He thrust forward the the bolder he had in front of his flew towards the wall of the crater.

"Whoa," both me and Zach watch as it flew. Aldo seemed to be used to this demonstration, and was sitting on the ground playing with rocks. It drew my attention away, I watched him as he made the rocks different shapes and force them into each other. It was pretty awesome.

"Cool isn't it?" he asked, it snapped me out of my day dream.

"Yeah, I didn't know you could do that," he smiled.

"Alright, get ready it's your turn," Henry yelled, Aldo stood up and got into the same stance that Henry had when he showed us. I followed Zach as he did it, because I had not been watching.

"GO!" he yelled, and we all thrust of fist forwards. I closed my eyes before for I ended the moved, and I heard booms and rocks falling. When I opened my eyes, the dust from the rocks was just clearing.

I saw the the boulder that was in front of me had only gone a few meters away and Zach and Aldo's had gone all the way to the other side.

"Great job all of you, Aldo, you could hold back next time. You left a hole in the wall. Zach amazing first try, never seen a better one. And Candle, better luck next time. You'll get it to the other side," Henry smiled and patted me on the back, I stumbled forward and almost fell over.

The rest of the day I practice trying to moved that rock, it didn't help the did it again and then moved onto the next move. Until the sun went behind the mountain did I practice that move. It mainly went like, knees bent, arms folded, thrust, close my eyes, and then see if it moved. I got it a few more feet, maybe every 5 times.

By the end of that day, I need water and food. I felt as people did in band camp. I had heard from the high schoolers what it was like. Though being a violinist I would never know, Mara might have though.

"Ok, time's up. We will resume tomorrow at the same time. For now dinner," he smiled, we all sat down. He had set out the meal while we had worked, it was basically what I would expect from an Italian meal. Pasta, bread, and a salad. What my Dad's side of the family would serve every time we went there.

We sat down, ate like monsters. I was starving, well as far as really really really hungry goes. We all ate in silence, in my mind that meant that the food was good. But when I looked up, Aldo had stop eating and was listening, by the looks of it. But as soon as 3 seconds later he resumed eating.

"Henry, when are we planning to leave?" I asked, all the hunger that I had, suddenly went away. Aldo had stopped eating again and was listening.

"Yes, I think we should sometime soon," he agreed.

"Well then, lets start to pack up, I think we are all done. And if we are still hungry by the time we get back to the house then you can have some more," he said standing up. We quickly packed away our things and went on our way. This time I was carrying the water, which was mainly empty bottles except for mine.

We again walked in silence, the sun was also starting to go down and it was starting to get dark. Though it seemed only 6:00 maybe.

"Hey Zach, did you have fun today?" I asked him.

"What? Oh yeah. Earthbending is a lot of fun, I finally got my turn after Alex and Mara. Though poor Sapphire she must be waiting for her chance to learn. I am sure that she will be happy when it comes," Zach smiled and put his hands behind his head, which resulted in him tripping over a root and me having to grab him before he hit the ground.

"You're welcome, idiot," I laughed as he tried to regain balance.

"Uh, thanks," he sounded a little embarrassed and turned to looked the other way.

"Be quite," Aldo said behind us. I shut my mouth, and listened. Zach started to talk about something but I elbowed him in the gut before he could get to fair. We were ahead of Henry who seemed to be talking to himself quietly.

"What is it?" Zach asked, turning to me.

"Something is watching and/or following us," Aldo said, he seemed to be listening really hard. For 5 more minutes we walked in total silence.

"Look, the house!" Zach yelled out. Almost right after that something moved in the bushes, but it was heading away from us. Aldo breathed out a sigh. What Zach said was true, the house was shining brightly through the trees.

We came out of the forest and walked right in through the back door. Henry was putting some of the extra food up, I quickly put the food away and went upstairs. It was only 7 and the sun was almost behind the mountain.

"Hey Candle can I come in?" Gabe said through the door.

"Yeah," I yelled back, I was on the roof by the time he came in.

"Hey I have a question," he said.

"Well then asked away," I smiled.

"Want to learn how to use a sword?" he asked.

"Yeah sure," he jumped up and yelled at the sky, I could see the small sword on his had glowing brightly. He must have been waiting all day to ask me.

We got down to the ground by jumping, and he told me to go to the garden. He would meet me there. I walked there quietly, listening to the nature around me. The sun was at the time when it turns everything gold, winter was on its way. I expected to be here until after Christmas. Then after that we could take a plane back to America or somewhere.

I entered the garden. And was surprised, there were purple butterflies everywhere. They flew from flower to flower, leaving a trail purple behind them. I walked around looking at all of them.

"Hey," I felt a hand touch me, I jumped and turn around. Gabe was standing there with 2 sword in his other hand.

"Don't do that again. You scared the heck out of me," I told him, he was laughed on the ground, by the time I could get those words out.

"I'm sorry, but that was too good," he tried to get up but failed and started to to laugh again. I walked over to him and punch him in the arm.

"Ow...," he said between laughs. Soon though he got up holding his left shoulder.

"Are you ready?" I asked, really irritated.

"Yeah, I am," he said giving me the sword," you can use my first one. I am going to use the one that Irene gave me. So the first thing you should know is what hand you are. Are you right handed or left?"

"Well, right. But I bat and golf left," I told him.

"I know, so lets try you right for now. And if it doesn't work out you can switch to left. Anyway, there are four moves I am going to teach you for right now. Blocking up right, up left, down right, and down left. They're simple, but hard."

"Thanks that clears up everything," I sighed. He smiled.

"To block up right you hold your sword in the up right hand of your body. Simple enough?"

"Yeah," he got into a stance, I tried to copy him, but he struck before I could. I moved my arm up, but wasn't fast enough and the sword struck me. But no blood came out.

"What?" I asked myself, looking at my shoulder.

"I used the back of the sword, so I wouldn't hurt you," he said, I smiled and he got back into stance. I managed to get the stance in, but I had not enough time to get to blocking. He stuck me again. I was surprised and stepped back.

"What matters more is that you're able to block. The stance is nothing when we are in the life threatening case," he said, I nodded. He got into stance, I copied him. He waited just slightly long before he struck. This time I was able to block, I did. I didn't feel like a perfect block, but I did it.

"Yeah!" I yelled up at the sky. We continued do that for a while. Until he switched to my left, which I found was a lot easier to block. Maybe because I had been doing it for a while.

"OK, lets try you left hand to block now," Gabe said, I switch the sword over to my left. He told me how to hold it and we began.

We both got down in our stances, though I had switched stances. I felt uncomfortable in the other one. I had my left arm pulled back, to where my elbow was behind my head. And my right hand other in front of me. Gabe had told me that I left my whole front exposed when I did that, but I blocked just as well if not better.

He sprang and I was ready. I moved my sword up to my right, both of my hand were on the hilt when he struck. I heard the hit of metal against metal and felt the vibrations go through my body. Then he switch to left, and I blocked. He did back and forth about 2 more times.

"You seem like you are better left handed. Like other things, your dad probably made you like that as he did for baseball and golf. Maybe for a reason. Anyway you can stick with left handed and maybe in the future we can go out and buy swords," After he said that we walked back to the house. The butterflies were still out, but there were fewer, I guess they were at their highest during the sunset.

I head for my room, Gabe told me I could keep the sword and gave me the scabbard for it connected to the belt. I put it by my violin, and picked up the violin. I hadn't practiced in forever, and felt want to.

The music book that Dad had given me had old Scottish, Irish, and classics in it. I turned to the first one. Called Scarborough Fair, I had heard it many times before, but never on violin. I started to play, I knew people could probably hear me from all over the house, but I didn't care.

I played it, it covered 4 pages for me, and enchanted me. I played, with much comfort. My bow slide over the strings, and my fingers moved according to the notes. I played it over and over, until I became very tired and had to put it down before I fell over.


	23. Chapter 23

Candle's POV.

I was walking? No I was running? No wait I was listening? Was I doing it all at once? It was dark and my mind was filled with soft music. I couldn't make it out though. I think I can hear voices, maybe?

"Hello?" I asked out into the darkness. I got no response, or at least I thought.

"H-hello?" I heard a stutter of a voice that was familiar.

"I am here," I answered, I knew where I was now. I was all coming back to me. I hadn't been here since I was with Rosemary.

"Candle?" the person asked, it sounded like Gabe.

"Yeah, it is me, I am coming to find you. Stay right there Gabe!" I yelled back. I was running, everything was covered in a black haze. It held me back, but I pushed through. I tried to make some wind to push it away, but I couldn't. i guess you can't do it in here.

I saw something coming up. It was tall and seemed not to be moving. I got closer and saw him. Gabe was standing right there, he seemed frozen.

"Hey, I found you," I was breathing hard. He looked at me, he was scared. His eyes told the whole story. He had no idea where he was.

"Candle," he whispered and grabbed me into a hug.

"Hey, It's cool. We're in the Spirit World, do you remember Messi? He lives here, you know he's on our side now. Maybe we can find him. Or my old friends I met here back when I was with Rosemary. I can guide you through," he let go of me, I smiled. He smiled back.

I heard a scream. It came from over to my right.

"Come on," I grabbed Gabe and ran. I ran until I saw another form. It was also tall, but it had long hair.

"Sapphire, it's me Candle and Gabe," I yelled out at her. She turned and ran towards us. I stopped when she was in veiw. She didn't though she ran up to me and ran into me. She grabbed me into a hug.

"Whoa, hey. I think I might be getting a lot of hugs later. Sapphire, why are you crying?" I asked her.

"I don't know I woke up in darkness and saw only black. I didn't know where I was or if I was alive. I just started to to cry," she said all of this through sobs, I let her cry on my shoulder as we sat on the ground. Gabe was silent. Maybe he didn't want to make a sound because if he left Sapphire know he was there, she might realize she was crying in front of a boy. Sapphire was usually a hardcore fiery girl, who like to fight. This wasn't a state she would

like people to see.

Soon she got up and then walked silently with me and Gabe, we walked around until I heard footsteps coming towards us. I stopped and so did the others. The footsteps continued

until they ran right into Gabe and knocked him over.

"Zach! Get off of me," Gabe yelled.

"Oh, sorry. I couldn't see where I was going," he got up and helped Gabe up. Zach looked pale, and the light in his eyes had gone. Gabe, and Sapphire's eyes had also lost their light. As if they had seen something.

"Come on, if we can just get out of here then we can go to where I can get Iroh," I said trying to cheer them up, they all slightly smiled and ran with me. We didn't speak, until I tripped and fell.

"Candle!" they screamed out at once. My ankle throbbed, and I had a few scratches on my elbows. I looked behind me and saw something on the ground, it was making a small sound.

"Hello?" I asked, reaching over.

"Candle?" it asked.

"Yeah, Mara?"

"You're here. Candle I saw something, I thought I would never see you or my friends again," Mara said. She wasn't crying hard, but she looked as if all her world had gotten crushed at once.

"Come, on stand up. Gabe, Zach, and Sapphire are already here with me. Mara you understand that we are in the spirit world. We can get out, I don't understand why all of us are in here. I didn't even know that it was possible, but here we are. I have friends here who can help us out. So come get up," I told her, she seemed to have stopped crying and was now breathing in hard.

We stood up and we all continued to run. If I was right Alex has to be here now. Where though is going to be the hard part. He had to be somewhere, but right now. I didn't know how big this place was. And if the floor would stop, and I even didn't know if I was in a dream or not.

We ran for what seemed like hours, but most likely could have only 20 minutes or so. I didn't feel tired at all, I wondered the same for my friends behind me.

"Are you guys any tired?" I asked, stopping," we could take a small break if you would like."

"Sure," Mara said and sat down. We all followed her, still in silence. I couldn't get out of my head about what all my friends had seen. I feared for what Alex could see. I knew he loved me as much as a cousin could, and he has had fights with me about my protection. But now I wanted to get to him before he got hurt.

At that moment a shriek echoed in the darkness. We all jumped up.

"What was that?" We all said at once, and raced in the direction of the sound. Our feet hit the invisible floor, we were all in our clothes that we had gone to sleep in. Though I really couldn't make even what I was wearing, much less what my friends were wearing. All I could see was a

very thin outline of them.

As we ran a few more shrieks went out. I knew it had to be Alex, but I didn't know if it was him being hurt or him seeing something that the others had seen. I wondered if the others had seen something that had caused them to let out such a painful screech.

"Alex!" Gabe yelled. I think I could hear something come back. I think I had been saying, yeah. But not a causal one, one that could barely get out of the mouth and was sometimes never heard.

We were coming closer to him. I could hear him crying.

"Alex, say something so we can find you," I yelled out into the darkness. We had all stopped, catching our breath.

"Candle? Are you there, is Gabe with you. Are Sapphire, Zach, and Mara with you?" He whispered, I was sure only because we had stopped that we could hear him.

I turned right and ran until, I actually saw a light. It was white and in the middle was Alex he was laying on the ground and blood was around him. I sped up, and when I got clear I dropped to the ground and slid to him.

Alex had a cut on his arm, it was long but not as deep as I had expected from seeing it so far away. The other came up behind me, and all gasped.

"Alex, Alex. What happened?" I felt like crying too, I didn't want to see my friend hurt, I didn't want to have my friends here. They didn't belong in a world, that wasn't to be crossed by man.

"It was long, and sharp. She had a tail... and white...um...," Alex looked like he was fazing off. And before I knew it he was out cold. He was still bleeding, I didn't know if it was happening in real life. If it was I was hoping that Henry, Maria, or Aldo could hear us.

"Gabe, give me your shirt!" I turned to him.

"What!"

"Come on, he is losing blood. And before long we might lose a friend. We can't bend in here, so we need to do what we can do until we get back to the real world," I told him. He must have thought it over really quick because pretty soon after he took off his shirt and gave it to me. I ripped it into 2 and started to wrap it around Alex's arm. I could hear Gabe's sigh when I had ripped it, but I knew he would forgive me.

We all sat in the light. The only light we had seen for what seemed like days. Alex had fallen asleep, but he took short painful breaths. Mara was watching over him.

"Candle, are you sure that we are in the spirit world?" Zach asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. But I don't think you guys should be here. I mean sure you come here in your afterlife, or move on. But I don't think that just people are aloud to just walk on in here. I mean it even takes me a while to get into here, it is a really boring sitting forever and clearing your mind," I explained.

"Your right," A voice rang out. It wasn't a voice I knew, it was different from any other voice I had heard before.

"Who's there?" I said getting up. In the light walked a woman. She was dressed in black and white. She held a sword and behind her was a white tail, and at the end it was black. She ears like a wolf and where she stepped white sprang up around her.

"I am the Two-Sided Spirit. I had two sides, one evil and one good. Your friend just happened to be here when the evil was here. I am truly sorry, he will live. He was lucky he was only struck be a simple sword, if my evil side has used his usual sword he have been dead," the spirit finished.

"Why did you strike him?" Zach asked, he seemed a little mad. I wanted to calm him down, but before I could the spirit answered.

"I did not, my other side did," he answered simply. This enraged Zach, he launched himself at the spirit. I sprang up and tried to stop him.

The spirits eyes flashed bright red and Zach was blown back when he tried to punch the force field around the spirit. I turned and ran to Zach, Sapphire followed me. Mara and Gabe stayed to guard us and Alex.

"Your friend shouldn't wake up my bad side. He would be truly sorry," the spirit said.

"We're sorry, spirit. But we are lost, could you please show us the way out. Oh great Two-Sided Spirit," Mara said to the spirit. I knew she was trying to seem nice and convening the spirit to take pity on them," we accidentally wandered into your home. We are only asking for directions out."

The spirits eyes went back to a gray and he looked at her with what looked like almost pity," young girl, I can see that you have not been to the spirit world before. In fact you almost glow with an aroma that says that you shouldn't be here. Your aroma is something I have not smelled in centuries upon centuries. You must be a human, but not an ordinary human, you are a bender. Tell me why have I not smelled benders in centuries?"

"The spirit world has not be of access since the last time you smell a human bender. THe world evolved taking benders out of the equation not many people are still benders. And the people who are live in fear that scientist will take them and cut them open to learn secrets," Mara explained.

"I see, that is very disturbing. I can remember when I was a human back when I was just learning how to bend. I was a waterbender. Best of my class, but soon the world fell into torment. It was before the great legendary Avatar Aang. When the world had just moved on into a time where people lived outside of the fear of the woods. At that time there was an Avatar whose name has been lost to time. I remember meeting her though. She was sweet and had flowing white hair. Part of the Air nomads. The world soon fell into war for land and I watched her died from a wound that she had taken during a fight with Earthbenders.

So I am guessing that the world is again at another war. This you, girl are the Avatar. Tell me what can I do to help you?" he asked me. I was stunned and walked back over into the light. It was funny looking at a spirit who was clothed and I was only wearing loose pants and a tank top.

"Well like we said we would like to get out of the dark and into the light," I said to the spirit.

"Of course. I can give you a path out of my realm," at that moment a path was shown by streaks of light breaking through the dark clouds of black mist. We thanked the spirit, Zach put Alex on his back, and we left.

"Oh, and before I leave. I might need to call on you sometime soon," I yelled back. All the spirit did was bow and then fade away, like a ghost.

We followed the path down to where we saw lots of light. It seemed to have woken up Alex because he shielding his eyes.

"This is going to be the way out, I think that's what the spirit said," Sapphire said as we got

closer. I nodded. We walked into the light.

I sat straight up in my bed. It took me a few seconds to realize where I was. Then I remembered Alex. I ran down stairs and opened the door to his room. Zach and Alex were both sitting in their beds. Wide eyes.

"You're not bleeding," I smiled, and he nodded.


	24. Chapter 24

Candle's POV.

Months have passed since we got here. Though I still remember our journey to the Spirit clearly. Alex had only been wounded in the spirit world, which I guess is OK. It's December now and it's Christmas Eve. I wish I could spend the time with my family back in the Redwood Forest. But I can't let them know I am alive yet, that would be sending up a red flag that we were in fact alive to everyone who wants us dead.

The signs on our hands had gotten brighter throughout the passing months. Henry predicted it was because of the winter solstice coming up. The days had gotten colder and we had all gone out to the market to get warmer clothes and some more since we only had the few that we had packed. Maria offered to buy us new bags, which we didn't say no to. Our bags that we had started with had been stained, torn, and soaked many times and we needed new ones since we still had months of traveling and carrying bags to come.

She bought us all hiking bags at a small store on the outskirts of town. She said they had the best bags you could hope for for the next half year. I had gotten a pale orange one. The others got colors that matched their bending colors, as our original bags were.

Henry had also said that he was going to take us on a special trip before we ended our stay here. Over the past few months we had been mastering earth, and Maria had been teaching all 6 of us Karate as a side thing that she knew. We had grown very close to Aldo, Henry, and Maria and I knew that the next day that we weren't with them would feel very weird.

Alex had also been helping me out with air, we hadn't been practicing together for months and Alex just came up to me and said it's time for me to learn again. I agreed.

"Candle, pay attention. You have one more move to learn!" Henry yelled at me. We were back at our regular place to practice. We had gone out farther into the mountains and camped for days on end out there to learn more about the rock and how the earth is shaped to our advantage.

"What? Oh, yeah," I went red a little and got into stance. One last thing that Henry was teaching us was basically how to create a wave and walk on it. It's was sorta like a move in water bending where you ride a wave on the water. Though this is on land.

We have come close to mastering the move, but Henry wanted us to have a little fun today. We were to race with the rock wave. Aldo was allowed to come and Henry also would be racing us.

We raced throughout the day until well after the sun went behind the mountain. We had all been worn out and planned to get back to the house as quickly as possible. We were expecting a great Christmas Eve dinner. I had pleaded to stay and help cook things or make a pie, it was something I had done for years on end. Henry said that I had to do this if I were to be considered a master at earthbending. I couldn't refuse and instead had to go out and master an element.

Maria had promised that either way I would be happy and would enjoy the lamb and other foods when I got back.

"Aldo, do you usually have other people with you and your family at Christmas?" Zach asked Aldo. He seemed to be shivering in his jacket.

"Not normally sometimes Grandma will come down or one of my aunts but for the pass 3 years I haven't seen anyone come down for Christmas. Sometimes people from the church come up here and talk to us, but we make sure they don't stay late enough to see the spirits come out at night," he explained.

"Oh, yeah I haven't seen my mom or dad for about a year. They were taken from us and we have been trying on our off times to locate them, but they don't even show up if we were to Google their names," Zach sighed. We all missed out parents and Mara must have missed her Aunt very much.

We walked into the house and I smelled Christmas. I could hear the last minutes vegetables being taken out of the oven as they simmered on the pans and I could hear plates being put on the table. I want upstairs and changed out of my sweaty clothes.

I felt like I could just pass out on my bed. For one I we didn't eat lunch and I barely ate breakfast. My stomach growled continuously.

"Candle, so you have now mastered earthbending. According to Henry?" Maria said.

"Yeah, I think so. I am sorry to say that we'll have to be off the day after tomorrow," I told her.

"Yes, you must head back to America. I hope those tickets I bought you are heading to the correct place. Atlanta, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, we are going back because we need to get some help from an old friend of Candle and mine's," Gabe explained.

"Well yes, I remember,"

"By the way what about tomorrow you said you were taking all of us somewhere?" Alex spoke up, he looked like he had just remembered it. I suddenly perked up because I had also just remembered about what he had told Zach and me earlier today.

"Right, that is a surprise. Aldo, you will be there too right?" Henry asked him.

"Yeah, I'm coming," he said while getting more rice.

"Great, now time for pie," Maria said and walked off.

''''''''''''''

I woke up with someone shaking me. Mara was standing at the side of my bed, her eyes were filled with excitement. And she looked like a kid on Christmas day.

"Candle! Candle! Wake up, it's Christmas morning!" she yelled saying it so fast it was hard to understand her.

"What, stop it. Say it slower this time," I groaned. Half of my face was wet, with I guess drool and my neck hurt slightly.

"OK, Ok... Candle. It. Is. Christmas. Morning," she paused after every word.

"Oh... OH!" I sat up as fast as ever. I had just processed what she had said. It was Christmas morning, outside had a thin layer of snow and the sun was just over the valley. It looked like the sunrise was just beginning to happen.

"Come on. It's like 6 in the morning. We're the only ones up, lets go wake the others!" she really did look like a kid on Christmas morning. I stood up and ran down stairs. I burst into Alex and Zach's room. It was a mess, with clothes and other things littering the floor.

"Wake up, Wake up! It's about 6!" I walked over to Zach's bad and started to shake him.

"Mom, it's summer break. Stop it," he slowly opened his eyes," you're not my mom. Candle?"

"Yep, come on get out of bed. It's Christmas morning!" I yelled at him. He, like me was slow waking up, then his eyes got wide.

"Alex! Alex! Hey buddy, wake up now. Candle is here saying it's Christmas morning!" Zach yelled at the bad on the other side of the room.

"Zach, shut up! It's not Christmas. That's months away, you're too tired," Alex said beneath his covers.

"I think it is you who is too tired," he laughed at Alex.

"Wait, wait. Give me a minute to think... Candle are you in here?" he asked.

"Yep,"

"And Zach said it was Christmas morning... wait... Christmas... that sounds familiar... Oh...OH!" he popped up from out of his covers. He had no shirt on and green shorts on.

"Yep, I think you have enough time to think. Is your master mind starting to work?" I laughed.

"Yeah, hold on. Let me find a shirt and I'll meet you outside," he said. I walked out and walked to the next door over to wake up Gabe.

"Hey, wake up! Come on!" I turned on the light and was met with a groan and the covers moved.

"Who are you?"

"Well who do I sound like?" I asked.

"Candle?"

"The one and only. Now get up," I told him. He sat up, like Alex and Zach he wasn't wearing a shirt and his hair looked like it went through a lawn mower.

"Here, put a shirt on and come one outside," I told him and threw a shirt as his face. It landing on his face and he slowly took it off.

"I wore this shirt yesterday," he said looking at it.

"Yeah, I know," I said and walked out of the room.

"Mara had managed to get Sapphire up out of bed. She was wearing a red shirt and shorts. Though she had not put in her normal pigtails and her hair was down surrounding her upper half of her body, unbrushed.

Henry was just walking down the hall when he spotted all of us sitting working on waking up.

"My lord, you're all up. Did you all wake up on your own?" he asked.

"Well, Candle woke me up," Zach said, he was now wearing a shirt along with the other two.

"Mara woke us up," Sapphire said through a yawn. Then she fell over onto the floor and tried to go back to sleep.

"I see do you guys want some coffee?" he asked. We all nodded in agreement. Slowly while the aroma of the coffee spread throughout the house I began the slowly fade off. At the last second someone shook me and I woke up.

Aldo was standing there with a cup of coffee in his hand, and in the other was a tray with other cups. My friends had all fallen asleep next to each other.

"Oh, thank you," as I said 'thank you' I yawned.

"Come on, the caffeine will hit you soon enough and we will get ready to head out after we unwrap presents," he handed me the cup, the heat ran down through my cold body. No matter how long I stayed here I would never get used to the cold that came in throughout the night.

Soon everyone was awake and the caffeine had gotten to them. We sat around opening presents and talking. It took about an hour before all of us were done, I had gotten more music, some new clothes, and other things. The thing that really confused me was something I had gotten from no one I knew. It was in a long, velvet case. It was a sword, more known as a katana, but smaller version of one. I could have been a dagger. In the case was a note that read:

This sword belonged to a past life of yours.

I hope that you use it with Justice.

It had no signature, but was written in long lacy handwriting. Also as it looked like it had been written around the same time America had been founded, but the paper wasn't that old. Gabe came up to me and picked up the sword.

"It's a little light for my taste, but I think it will fit you just fine," he smiled and handed it back," it is known as a Shoto in Japan, in English it is known as a short sword."

"Thanks, it does feel light, but it also feels right. Maybe this was what you were talking about in all our lessons," I told him, he smiled I think he was glad that I finally understood that part of the sword.

'''''''''''''''''''''

"Alright! Everyone, come on into the car we are going to have fun!" Aldo yelled, he seemed pumped for this. They had told us that we would love this, but also gave us warning that this could kill us. Alex laughed at himself that minute Henry had told us that. He said that that was something we dealt with everyday. But he only said quite enough for me to hear, I snickered along with him.

We all loaded into the car and headed down the mountain. We drove to the other side of the valley, which was actually farther than I expected. Then I could have swore that we had stopped somewhere and spoken to someone, but I couldn't quite recall it as I had been sleeping most of the way.

I woke up to a good nice jerk and my head hitting something hard. We sounded like we were on a dirt road. And then it stopped, everything was silent for a moment. Then clicking and people moving.

"Candle wake up, and stop drooling on me," An annoyed voice said. It was Mara.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," I wiped the drool away and unbuckled. We were in the mountains once again, but this time it was more mountain that I was used too. My lips had gone chapped and the air was thin, but at least it was fresh.

"Hey, Mara do you have any chapstick?" I asked real quick.

"Of course," she handed me hers. As soon as I put it one I felt the mint and the burning. It was really soothing. I started to twist the thing, but instead of it going back down a red laser shot out. I yelled.

"Shhhh!" Mara took it from me," be quiet, I don't want people to know I have this."

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's a laser, what does it look like?" she said.

"Um... chap stick," I gave it my best guess.

"No, I got it for a Christmas present," she said.

"How did I not know this?"

"Well you do now. Come on, or we'll miss everything," she said and ran up the hill. I followed quickly behind.

We got to that top with the rest of the group and I was handed a suit thing.

"Put this on," Aldo handed it to me.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, you'll need it. Remember when you jump to wait 3 seconds before you open up your arms," he said and then walked away and gave one to Mara. I tried to put it on. Took me about 5 tries because I kept getting the legs and arms confused. I do not recommend putting on what ever I was wearing.

"Now, get ready. Make sure your squirrel suit is on tight and then jump. Wait 7 seconds before going," Henry yelled out over the wind.

"Um... what are we doing?" Sapphire asked.

"We are base jumping," he said and turned and ran. He jumped off and shot down.

"I will tell you when to jump. The wind has to be right," Aldo said.

"What the hell, Aldo! Why are we doing this, we could kill ourselves!"Alex told him.

"I thought you said that almost being killed was something you dealt with everyday," Aldo mocked. Alex turned red and then put on his helmet.

"Jump!" Zach ran up and jumped. Like Henry he fell and then I saw him zoom away.

"By the way welcome to the Walensee, Switzerland! You're about to grind the Crack!" Aldo yelled, "Jump!"

Sapphire went next. She jumped and was almost fearless when she was running. Only because I had studied feeling the vibrations in the earth, I could feel a slight hesitation.

"Jump!" Alex went and jumped. I wanted to scream for him to stop, but I knew that he could control the air so if he got in trouble then he would be fine.

"Jump!" Gabe turned to me, but he had his helmet on so I couldn't read his expression. He nodded and then ran. I reached out to grab him, to tell him that this was madness, but he was faster than I thought. Before I knew it he was jumping.

Everything went through my head, about how he could die. How we could all die and the world would die too. We would never be able to save the world. I thought about my fear of heights, but then again I thought about how I had jumped out of so many plans, and I would probably be doing so in the future.

My ankle throbbed a little, as if telling me to stop being stupid and just back away. I could feel the scar of when I was in Yellowstone and I battle a twister from hell. The scar felt like it was brand new. And before I knew it I heard the word.

"Jump!" I looked over at Aldo, he was holding out his hand pointing out into the valley.

I ran, but not out of choice. My body was acting as if it was in a life or death situation. Then I jumped. There was nothing below me but air. It scared the heck out of me, I could hear blood pumping in my ear.

I counted to 3 and then opened my arms. The air hit it and I finally opened my eyes. It was breath taking. The view was angelic. Even if it was winter and some parts there was snow I could also see some green of grass, not the best green, but that sorta more greenish than yellowish. The Crack was huge and it went on forever. I guessed that I just had to follow the crack.

I twisted and turned in the air. I used airbending to make it easier. As I flew I took close turns and went so close to the ground that I could touch it if I wanted to.

Before I knew it I was coming closer and closer to the ground. I could see a small group of people that I guessed were my friends, so I leaned towards them. I closer and closer until I could see something that was different. The people were wearing suits and they had wires coming out from behind their ears.

I shot air from my feet missing them by only 3 meters.

I shot forward with the extra air boost and then saw another group. I was now high above the land again and pulled my parachute and slowly floated down to them. I landed and my knees buckled. But it was so much fun.

Mara and Gabe came over and helped me up. As soon as I was up Aldo landed behind me, though he just walked over.

"Aldo, how did you do that. You're blind," Zach asked him.

"There are somethings you can do even if you are blind," he said and then walked away.

"Candle, how did you like it," Henry laughed, and for the first time his Italian accent was the best sound in the world.

"I think I am over my fear of heights,' I smiled. He laughed and then walked away.

We all got out of our suits and then pulled into the car and this time I stayed awake. I kept on thinking about the men I saw. I thought it was impossible for them to be here, I felt like they had been tracking us. But we had only in the real world for about 3 or 4 months. I had not been in contact with the outside world at all. I mean I did have my phone and my tablet, they could have followed the signal from that, but I don't have international coverage. Would that affect their tracking of me? Could one of my friends have international coverage?

I thought about this as we headed back to the house. I knew that Maria would have something whipped up in 30 minutes and it would be awesome, even if it was pasta or pizza. Which Zach, who was so sad after this, found out the hard way that the Italian's had their different version of pizza, and that our version had been created in New York. He hadn't spoken for the rest of dinner. It was the first time I hadn't seen him eat everything in sight.

The British government could have found them, which meant that they had to leave as quickly as the flight left. We had to get out of the country as quickly as possible!

I was worried for the safety of all of my friends. I also feared that if they had been so good at tracking us then had they gotten to my friends on the other side of the world and had they found Amber and her people in the Amazon.

This feeling kept with me all through dinner, which was paste was sauce. Even until I went to bed, I was almost certain that I could have nightmares about this, but then again I hoped that I could go to the spirit world again and see Janora or Iroh or maybe I could meet I new spirit that could help me.

As I drifted off I could hear the soft sound of a flute playing a melody.


	25. Chapter 25

Candle's POV.

It felt like the rain had just fell. All the plants around me were bright and covered in raindrops, the sun was just coming out from behind the clouds. The sunshine came through the dense trees in golden rays touching the ground and as it did flowers grew from the ground. Not just any flowers though, they were golden and on the edge were little pink dots.

I could hear the sweet sound of a flute. It's music seemed to calm every muscle in my body, it was something I need a lot. Since just hours before I had been in great stress.

Then I saw small creatures all going somewhere. They seemed to be going in the same direction that the music was going. I quickly followed. The animals moved fast it was difficult to keep up with them. They must have known where they were going. Then I saw one last spirit run into a patch of hanging moss. I had to bend down because it was like a mini cave.

I pulled open the moss to find that spirits everywhere were sitting on branches, in bushes, on the ground, on top of rocks. Some deer like spirits came up from behind and stood. The whole clearing in front of me was cleared, the spirits only stayed on the edges.

Then I realized why, the was a young girl sitting on a bolder, she wore a long pink lace skirt that had a golden rope holding it up. On the rope was a crystal pink jewel, her top was also pink it ruffle and form what looked like a lily at her chest and the sleeves were see through until it cuffed at the end. Her eyes were crystal blue and her hair was pink. It was braid down the sides and flowers were clustered at the top of her head. She wore a small chain that connected the two flower clusters at the sides of her head. At the middle of the chain it had a long pink crystal stone that reflected the light. She was playing the flute, that had twisting sliver going all the way down the it. She stood up, and walked forward. I was confused at first about what the girl was doing, but then she broke into a dance. It was enchanting, her flute looked like it was guiding her through all the steps.

It seemed to go on forever, and just before I thought that it wasn't going to end she finished her final cord and brought the flute away from her mouth. She stood and looked at me, I didn't know what to do. I felt a little scared to talk to her, but then I felt like I should have known her from somewhere.

"Candle, i'm so glad to see you," she smiled. I was shocked that she actually knew me. How could she. I had never met her before, but half of me was like, yes you have.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Why don't you remember? I am Amaria, the Nature Spirit of The South. You are in the deepest forest in the Spirit world," she said, I was shocked that I was in the spirit world again but then I thought about how easy it was to enter.

"Oh, well sorry Amaria I don't remember you. When did I meet you?" I asked.

"I am there every time an Avatar is born. The blessing of Nature is cast upon you by each Nature spirit," she explained," now come we will dance and play together." she said and brought her flute up to her mouth.

"Wait, I don't have my violin," I told her.

"Oh, yeah. Here," she waved her hand and my blue violin appeared. I grabbed it out of her hand. It looked like it was newly polished and the bow was brand new. None of the hair was off to the side.

"Wow," I whispered. I brought it up to me and played just one cord. I looked at Amaria, she breathed and I breathed with her. She played a soft tune and then I flowed with a scale going down. The music the two instruments made was incredible, the music seemed to lead my hand into the music. It was a peace I had never heard before, thought it sounded like I had known it for a life time.

'Avatar, why have you come to my realm in the South?' I heard her voice in my head. It sounded just as sweet as it did when she spoke normally.

'I don't know, but I have something to tell you. War is happening, no fighting has happened in the real world, but I am not so sure about the spirit world,' I said back.

'I see, it has been happening in the spirit world too," her voice came back as a whisper in my head,' like before, when Avatar Korra was around, there was evil. It corrupted many spirits. Some nice ones that I knew had gone very bad. Their color changed, their aurora was different, and they spread like wildfire. All I could do in that war was wait for it to be over. I was a safe haven for spirits running from the darkness. My forest has been here since the very beginning.'

'I see, I have a question for you,'

'Yes?'

'I would like your help when I face off with the darkness,'

'What is this darkness exactly?' her voice in my head had suddenly gone very dark, like she knew where this was going. The tune of the music that we were playing had changed too.

'Do you remember when Avatar Aang was around? There was someone who took him out, this someone was very powerful. I don't know his-,' I was cut off by a high pitched gasp.

"Do you mean Andarious?" she yelled at me, her whole completion had now gone dark. Her pink outfit had gone almost gray. Her hair was now frizzy and was coming undone. And for the first time I could see how old this girl was. She looked more that 2 millennia old.

"I think," I said slowly so she could think.

"Then it indeed has happened. The prophecy that heaven predicted at the very beginning. This is why I go to see every Avatar, with the other Nature Spirits. And every other spirit like us. We go to see who is the one of the prophecy. Though we have been given many and still many more wait to be fulfilled. Candle, you must be careful, this man can control more than just the elements. He can bend the darkness to his will," she said so quite that if even one thing had made a sound during that last sentence I wouldn't have heard it.

"Amaria, how can someone bend darkness," I said.

"I don't know, I would think it is the same on how many benders have been able to bend things from there element, like metal bending and blood bending. But I don't see where darkness could fit in. Anyway, Candle. I will help you, I will fight in this war, but you have to promise me something. I will require a payment for this deed, you must win. If you don't then the spirit world will never be opened again. You will never be able to enter in your afterlife and neither will the rest of the world," she pointed at me, the color was starting to return to the world. Birds started to chirp again.

"I promise," I didn't know why I had said that, I was risking something really big here. If I made a mistake and sacrificed the only way to repopulate the world of benders and return the world to what it was before then I wouldn't be able to live with myself or maybe even my afterlife self. It would an eternal torture.

At that moment I felt the world slipping away, the picture melted as if I was melting into the shadows. Darkness replaced my vision and then I saw something and then more. It felt like I was flying over the spirit world. I could see many spirits running and chasing them was an army, an army of evil spirits. I could see some spirits directing others to America's forest. Then I saw a mountain. I knew that that was the mountain that Andarious was staying at. I flew in that direction.

It looked like Hell and Andarious was the lord of it. Spirits that weren't evil were enslaved. They were shackled with orange glowing shackles. They must have disabled the powers of the spirits. Whips cracked through the air. I could see spirits that looked like they were once human beings that were being whipped and that their skin was breaking and silver blood came out.

The screams were like nothing I had heard before. I sounded like people were being tortured over and over. It sounded as if I was in the early 20th century, before they inverted medicine that put people to sleep with they did surgery.

I wanted to just fly away, until I noticed one thing. There was a man, the same man I had seen with I was base jumping. The man I had seen when I had flown too close to that group. He was standing in front of Andarious, or who I thought was Andarious. I mean he was sitting in a throne made of spirit hides, human bones, and maybe even a splash of human skin thrown in there. He looked mad, like not mad, but mad crazy. His eyes looked like they could pop out of his head.

"- sir they are going to be taking a plane to the U.S. tomorrow," I heard the man in the suit say. He was talking about us, I was stunned. We had been away from any watchful eyes for months. And who would look in the smallest town, in a valley, in the Alps of Europe.

"Good, Good. Then you know what to do," he told the man. The man bowed and walked away. He walked down the mountain, through all the awful things that I had seen.

I wanted it to stop, I couldn't handle the screams of pain anymore, and this place was giving me a feeling that I was sure would give me nightmares. And as soon as I thought about wanting to go away the dream faded into nothing.


	26. Chapter 26

Candle's POV.

I woke up, my whole body was sticky. I was covered in sweat, it was something I had learned to become used to. Though I still hated it. We were leaving this morning and I was pretty happy about it, though half of me didn't want to leave, Maria and Henry had been so nice to us.

The sun had just come over the valley, it was probably just about 9:00 in the morning. I started to pack my clothes up in the bag I had gotten. It had a lot more pockets than I had expected More room than it looked like it had. Though even with the clothes that Maria and Henry bought us I still didn't own much. I had my phone which was starting to get pretty beat up. My tablet wasn't getting used that much, but it was also getting beat up. It really got it's share when we went to the Brazil.

I had read all my books at least 4 times, my notebook had become filled up with drawing and I was at my last few papers.

"Candle, we're leaving in 15 minutes," I turned to see who it was. Mara was standing at the door.

"Yeah, let me get dressed and I will me you guys down at the car," I told her. She simply nodded. Mara had become more and more interested in Spirits after we had all gone to their world in our dreams. Mara had informed me that if Alex was ever to go back his wound that he had obtained would come back if he ever entered the spirit world. I shuttered at the thought, Alex had been told all of this that day and he look shell- shocked after we had finished.

The trail down the mountain I had memorized since we had used it lots of times to go into town. And since I was now an earthbender I simply would just sorta "slide" down the trail. And like Aldo had told me not much we people ever went up the trail. The people who did At least took the trail of the mountain and not stray and find Henry's house.

The car was parked across the street from the trail. As I could see Zach was already in the car and Sapphire was about to get in. Gabe was putting his bag in the bag along with Mara and Alex was talking with Aldo.

"Hey," I said walking up to Mara and Gabe.

"Hey," they both said back.

"So, where are we going again?" I asked.

"Well, earlier we gave Sapphire the letter, and like all of us before it said that we had to go to Japan. That would complete everyone's training, but we still haven't found our parents and my aunt," Mara said, the air around me got cold and everyone's conversations stopped.

"We should go," Sapphire whispered.

We all climbed into the car. Henry said that he was going to take us to a better airport. It would about an hour's drive. The airport that we had come in was the only option we had because we still wanted to go unnoticed by the world.

"Mara are you sure we have gone unnoticed?" I asked her.

"I would be lying if I told you that I am 100% sure," she told me. I had a sudden pit feeling in my stomach.

"What do you mean?" Zach asked. His face was slightly pale than before.

"Well, to say that none if us have used our phones, or to say that we haven't gone down to town. Or even talked to some people outside of Henry, Maria, and Aldo would be stupid. We know we all have done this and if I am correct I could say that they have spies all over the place. Now that we know that it is not just the government going after us but also this darkness is also watching us, I would say that we have been targeted. We have stayed here for months also perfect amount of time for someone to be followed. All I can say is that we better get out of this country as fast as we can. We never know when we could be attacked," she said.

"At least we can say that we can defend ourselves," Gabe said.

"Well you are wrong at that, we could be attacked in a public place. Where it would not be wise to bend. We all know that to ordinary people we, us benders, are not normal. And even if we have met a lot of people who can bend, that does not match up with 7 billion people. We are very rare," she said. I looked out my window. I knew that we were very rare, but could there people who are walking down this road that are also benders?

An hour later we came to an airport. This time we didn't leave much room to stop or anything, we were just going to get there an hour before so we could just walk into the plane with no wait. The drive, though, was going to be our only set back.

"So we should just basically run through as much as we can," Sapphire said.

"Yeah, we'll take time off our watch. But there could also be a problem if we run too fast that we end up having to wait for our flight and that could leave us out in the open," She seemed to be thinking of all the things that could go wrong.

"So what you're saying is that, we have to be prepared for anything," Gabe said.

"Yeah," she said.

"But what if we were to get caught?" I asked her. The whole car got silent again.

"I don't know, if we were to bend they could do multiple things. They could always fight back, endangering the whole airport. They could capture us and make a show of us, beating us until we pass out. And lastly they could just capture us and take us away," she said.

I know from past experience that we do have some very good places where we could hid, but we don't know this airport, and we don't speak Italian, I mean sure Sapphire knows a little, but not enough to get us free.

By the time we had finished this conversation about different things that could happen, and a few pep talks from Maria we arrived at the airport.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come in with you guys and just make sure that you get to your flight safely?" Maria asked, she looked sad to see us go.

"No, if we were to get caught then that could put you and your life a stake. We have spent so much time learning earthbending that I could have already put you guys in danger," I told them. Maria came up and hugged me. I was stunned.

"You are very humble. Call us when you plan to fight with him," she said. Then she went and hugged Zach, I saw her say something to him which seemed to put him in utter shock.

"Candle. My girl, you have come a long way and I am honored to be the man who taught the Avatar. If you ever need a favor let me know," he smiled. He was older than when we had first met him. He looked tired, and his smile wanted to make me cry.

"Candle, here's my number," Aldo handed me a piece of paper," mom wrote it. I know that in the future you will not want to call on anyone to help you fight your war, but believe me. When you need help or need to fall back don't hesitate to," I saw him smile and his eyes got glassy.

I pulled him into a hug," Aldo, promise me that no matter how hard it is to see that you won't give up. I know that you have been there, I can see it in your eyes, the clothes you wear and the smile you wear," I let go and swiftly kissed him on the cheek and went to go join the others before they left without me.

"Candle, wait!" I turned one more time to see him place something in my hand," open it on the plane."

We walked in the lobby. Lots of people were lined up in lines waiting to fly places. But the line for Japan only had a few people. We didn't know how to speak Italian, but to our luck we only had to show our IDs from America, and our passports. The lady gave us our tickets and we broke into a run.

"We have to fly through bag checking," Mara told us as we ran.

The bag checking seemed to take longer than it probably did. We ran through everything, the only thing we didn't run through was the part where you walk through that giant thing to check if you had anything on you. My sword that gave had given me had turned into a necklace and his hand turned into a bracelet.

The airport was fairly big, and according to the only part that was English on some of the signs it was one of the biggest airports in the country. What surprised me was the size of the country. It was small to me, maybe because I came from a country that took the size of a whole continent.

We walked through the airport, our gate was one of the last, so it was down a ways.

"Attention all passengers, staff, and guest. We have a message," I stopped dead. I knew that voice. The other did too, it was a voice I couldn't put a face or name to. But sure as hell I knew that name.

"We are shutting down the airport for 30 minutes for a quick check on the structure. We need everyone in the building to exit," the voice said, it snapped. That voice was the same voice that had been there that day.

"Mara, we need to hide,"Alex said.

"I know. But where is the question," she said. Already there was two gates that had shut down. And I was sure that 5 more had just shut down too. The whole airport was leaving.

"Oh they are clever, very clever. They are getting people out so they can talk to us on our own. We need to start the fight now," Mara smiled, I was sure that she was thinking up a thought that would surely attract the attention of the dude and maybe even the world," Zach I need you to make sure that whatever happens this building doesn't fall down. Alex I need you too start increasing the airflow in the air conditioner. Make it seem like a leak happened, nothing too big. Sapphire I want you to make it look like smoke is coming out of the vents. Gabe, I need you to help get most of the people out. Candle, you and I are going to make the water overflow at the water fountains."

We all sprang into action. Mara and I followed the crowd to the restrooms. Until we got close enough to see them. I took one side while she took the other. Alex was already working on making the air over flow. Zach had sat on the floor, he was feeling for vibrations that weren't normal, and which ones could end up in this place falling down. Sapphire was standing right next to Alex. Gabe was yelling for people to get out, though it wasn't making much of an impact because he spoke English.

I started to bend, I felt for the water. Lots of people were still here and I had little room to work, even less to make it seem like I wasn't doing anything. I saw that on Mara's side she had just made the fountain burst. Water drenched her, and basically anything within 5 feet. People gasp, then Alex got the air leak, people screamed.

I heard something that sounded like," Fuoco!" People started to run around yelling the word. I think they were yelling about the smoke, the minute Alex had made that air leak she had made smoke.

The water fountains that I was focusing on had finally burst. Sad part was that I also got soaked. People all around me were yelling in various languages. Everything was going not as planned. Mara was having trouble making her way through the crowd of panicked people, she was getting hit on the shoulder and slipped on the water that had gone everywhere.

"Mara!" I yelled, though I am sure she didn't hear me. The sirens were going off now. I looked through the crowd for my friends, but I couldn't see them.

What I did see made my whole body go cold. I saw through an slightly open part of the crowd was them. Men in suits were running towards us. I pushed through the crowd harder, I had to get to Mara.

When I broke through I saw that she had gotten up and was working on the other fountain.

"Mara, we have to get out of here. I saw them. They are coming," I yelled at her. She stopped dead.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, I saw them,"

"Come on, we have to get the others," she said. And bolted off. By this time, I didn't care about bending in front of people. I yanked the sword necklace from my neck, it grew into my sword. It stayed in my right hand while I used the water from the floor in the other. I ran through the crowds, people gave me more room. Not that they had any option, they would have been knocked so hard to the ground that they might have pass out from impact.

Then I stopped dead, the men were there, they had Gabe in a headlock. Every person that was here was now gone, the hallway was gone.

"Drop the sword," a man in a mask said. It was the same man that was on the intercom.

"Let him go!" I said back, I sounded more calm than I actually was.

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

"Because you don't want to loose any of your men," I told him. He laughed, it was a harsh laugh.

"Men? The men and women that fight for me mean nothing to me. They are just tools," he said, his smile had gone away, it was replaced by a frown and his eyes had gone completely emotionless.

"What?!" I said to myself.

"Now, as I said. Drop the sword and you can go quietly, and the boy will live," he said. I looked over and Gabe. The dagger that was held to his throat was pressed against that I could see blood dripping. The sight of him bleed made me want to throw up, the feeling that I had gotten everyone in trouble was even worse.

He wore a look that said 'no'. I was fighting inside of myself. Half of me wanted to kill each and everyone of them. They had hurt Gabe and my friends. There was a rumble, and the floor began to shake violently.

I looked over at Zach.

"That would be what has come for you," said the man. He laughed once again," I say one more time, lay down your sword and your water. You will go without being hurt. You have 10 seconds."

'Candle, don't,' All of them were speaking in my head at once.

'I have to,' then I cut off the mental connection. I slowly started to lower my sword. Gabe had a panicked look on his face. He was trying to shake his head, but the more he tried to shake the more the blood came.

My sword hit the floor and the water followed quickly after. The man in the mask looked around, and I followed. The others slowly put there elements down. Men and women in suits came over and put plasmic ropes on our wrist. Gabe was let got and got a rope put on him too. Though no one came and put a bandage on his neck.

Just as we had all been tied a small car showed up driving down the hall. In it was two men with mask on. Behind it I saw another one. We were walked over, the inside was dark and had no windows. I looked up from the ground to see the boys being put in the other car. I jerked, Gabe was bleeding heavily.

Just as I jerked the rope burned into my skin. I screamed, as I did I heard the others all yell out as they tried to help. But the same thing happened. There ropes burned them.

then it all went black, I was thrown into the car along with Mara and Sapphire. And that was the beginning of the hellish torture that I was about to go through.


	27. Chapter 27

Candle's POV.

First of all waking up with a headache is not cool. What was even worse was that I didn't know where I was. It was dark, cold, and I couldn't see anything. I reached up to my face only to discover I didn't have my glasses. The world went by in phases, each one ending in darkness.

I would wake up with bright light in my eyes and feeling pain that no earthly creature should ever feel. Then I would wake up in darkness so dark that if you were to light a candle its flame would be put out by the darkness.

I could hear voices from time to time. With each passing hour I could feel myself withering away. Hollowing from the inside out, with very little food or water. One could say that I was in mental state that only the writings of Edgar Allen Poe could describe. The only moments were I felt anything but pain were the times that I was asleep. I didn't know where my friends were, and I didn't where I was.

It was cold though, and the metal on the floor provided no warmth. The cages were simple, metal and bolted together. If I had the strength I could have metal bended out, but the people who had took us had nearly starved us.

"Candle?" I heard a voice, it sounded soft, carried, but harsh. I opened my eyes, it was dark but my eyes had adjusted to it. I looked around, there wasn't much I could see.

"It's me," the voice said again.

"Sapphire?" I asked into the darkness.

"Yes,"

"Sapphire?" I said again, the name seemed weird.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, she sounded like she was getting weaker talking to me.

"I-I think so," my head throbbed.

"I have seen you be brought into here lots of times. This was the first time that I actually got you to wake up," her voice was just a whisper now.

"Sapphire?" I asked. I held out my palm and fire appeared.

"Candle? You made fire?" she said, I looked behind me. She was in a blue tube made of plastic. She was huddle up in a ball in the corner of the the tube. Her eyes had lost all of their light, and were now a faded lava orange. It pained me to see her like this.

"Yeah, I did. Sapphire, I remember you now," I told her. She smiled, the smile showed her cheek bones. Her whole body was thin, and you could see her bones very clearly.

"I'm glad. Zach, has been brought in and out, so has Mara. But the others I haven't seen," she said, her smile faded.

I had a small idea of who she was talking about. My body started to shake, I felt that burning sensation in my throat. I knew that I was gonna cry, but I didn't know why. There was an aching feeling in my chest, and I suddenly felt hollow.

The fire in my hand got smaller, I could only see the outline of Sapphire's face.

"I am sure that you miss Gabe," she said. Almost on impulse I nodded my head, but the image of Gabe was really unclear. I could see someone that was smiling, he had brown hair and these great green eyes. He was putting on my glasses, and then he kissed me lightly

on the cheek. I remembered him at that moment.

"Yeah, I remember. I do," I said and then my fire went out. We didn't talk for a while, but she spoke up again. Her voice sounded stronger. She told me about what had been going on for the past few days. Or so she thought. We weren't sure how much time had past.

She told me about leaving Henry and his family. She told me about Aldo, and about the four who we met at YellowStone. And the Amber and Jack at the Amazon Jungle. Some of things she told me about surprised me and my mind told me that I couldn't have done this.

Then the door opened. I saw someone being taken to another tube, and someone who followed behind them, but that person was taken to a metal cage like mine. Then the people who were in mask walked out and sealed the door.

I summoned up some power and made a big fire in my hand. Next to me was the metal cage. In it a person lay sprawled out on the floor of it. He looked like the boy that I had remembered, but his hair was dirty, his shirt was ripped and in some places was completely teared to the edge. His pants were bloody, he didn't wear and any shoes, and he wore no smile. He looked half alive and fully asleep, his breathing pattern was slow and shuttered every exhale.

"Gabe? " I asked.

"Yes that's him. He probably looks very different from the last time you saw him," Sapphire said in a sweet voice. I felt that burning sensation grow bigger and before I knew it I was crying.

"Candle, you're awake?" I heard a new voice and I turned my head the other way. In another plastic tube there sat a boy. He was in the same state as Gabe. His shirt ripped, pants covered in blood, but he had fresh blood on him. I saw that he had blood coming from his head.

Sapphire screamed when she saw it, Zach looked completely bewildered until he reached up. He touched the blood and looked at his hand. He seemed to be in mid scream when the door opened again and someone was taken to a tube and thrown in. I put out the fire quickly so they would think it was just the light of the door.

"Mara!" Sapphire screamed after the door had shut. I heard a groan. I remembered Mara, she was my best friend. I remembered the time we spent together with Amber in the Amazon. She was a healer, and a very good water bender.

"Mara?" I asked out into the darkness. This time I heard more than just a groan.

"Candle...?" her voice was in so much pain, I could see from here that her hand was glowing brightly. I looked down at my hands, they were also glowing. But two weren't, it was the air one and sword. I had a slightly heart attack, I didn't know why at first.

I started to remember my cousin Alex. I almost smiled as I remembered how protective he was. He feared for my life over his, he would have protected me before he even thought about the state he was in.

At that moment the door opened, I saw from the figure that stood in the door that he was carrying Alex. The body was hanging limply from the small loop he was in. Alex was pinned next to the man ribs. His skin had gone pale again, since we had started traveling he had gained some color in his skin. Now though it had faded, which made me think how long we

had been in here.

I looked over as he was thrown into a plastic tube as well. Me and Gabe were the only ones in the metal cages, which made no sense to me. I had regained enough energy that I could metal bend the bars.

"Alex!" Mara said, just above a whisper. She slowly crawled over to the edge of her capsule and looked out.

"Sapphire there are two signs that are not glowing on my hands. They are Gabe and Alex's," I told her. I knew that her eyes were widening.

"What does it mean?" Zach said from across the room.

"I don't know," I said.

"I think I know," Mara said, this time her voice was stronger. I have noticed this throughout our travels. Whenever one of us is unconscious or, I fear, dead the light will not glow. And for Candle's case she has all of them our her hands she can see when which of us is not conscious."

The room grew very quiet, so quiet that you could have hear if a drop of water hit the floor. My imagination started to get the better of me. I could think of so many things that could have made them be like this.

I started to fade off into sleep when I suddenly go waken up by shouts. I jerked, it felt like I had been falling. So naturally I had a slight spasm attack.

"Candle!" the voice I heard made me sit up up strait. I slowly turned my head to see Gabe fully awake. His eyes were shining, like had been in my memories and dreams. But his body was still torn up and broken.

"Gabe?" I asked.

"Candle," he repeated, he broke into a smile and I could see that he was almost laughing," you're glowing."

I looked down, my tattoos were glowing. They emitted a blue light that lit up the whole room. I could see everyone's faces, I could see all their wounds and all their ripped clothes. I could even see the damage that had been done to me.

I had, once again, a cut that went from the top right of my chest all the way down to the left part of my hip. It wasn't bleeding, but there was dried blood. My ankle was throbbing, and I had been accustom to the throbbing that I must have not notice it. My clothes were all covered in sweat and blood, and there was a weird dried stuff on it. My converse were now fully destroyed, the fabric had been ripped and the laces were almost all fluff.

My tattoos were still glowing, and this time for sure I knew that they would not disappear back into my skin. I started to daze off, it seemed that I had lost all of me energy to the talk I had with Sapphire and the introducing of my friends again.

The next time I woke up I was shackled to the wall. I was shackled high enough that I hung off the ground by half a foot. I wondered how I had even got up here, but that pasted my mind when I saw a man sitting in front of me. He wore a white suit and had white had. His eyes were purple and he wore many metals all over the top half of him. Hanging out of his left breast pocket was a metal chain that lead me to believe it was a pocket watch. Part of me questioned about why he had one. The other part told me, dude that is cool!

He was wearing a small smirk on him, and he seemed to glow with white light. Though the light was very very dim, like he was losing the light from his body.

"Hello," he simply said not losing the smirk off his face.

"Where am I?" I questioned.

"Why the simple question?" he asked.

"Why are you answering a question with a question?" I asked, internally I was smiling. It was like I was playing a game with him.

"I see, well you are in the Antarctic, about 100 miles, a good 3 days walk, from the charted South Pole," he laughed a little this time. I was surprised. How could they have gotten us so far? And how long have I been here?

"How long have I been here?" I asked, that seemed like a logical question since before none of my friends had known.

"You have been here for about 2 crushing weeks," that part didn't surprised me as much.

"You have been feeding me?" I asked.

"Of course, how would we have been able to keep you alive to test on. You see your being is so pure and natural. Other benders like you only happen every 100 years, but then again you happened more than a hundred years after the most recent Avatar. Who could say how long it has been, the charts stopped going. So I knew from the day you were born that I had to find you, and I came across this other being. He said he need people, people who he could count on to find the Avatar. Me, after running away from the temple that I had been raised in, had gladly helped his cause," he said. I had gotten background out of him. This was like a game, it was like a bad guy giving away his evil plot to the hero only to be defeated

"Do you know what's going to happen?" I asked him. He seemed puzzled by my question, but then answered smoothly.

"Of course I do. I am his right hand man. He is going to make the earth new. Starting with ridding you benders off the earth. And don't think I don't know that there are other benders out there in the world. But I had to get you, you where the place where I could start. If we can get rid of the Avatar then I get rid of the fighting itself," he laughed for a while. It was loud and it was evil.

"You're wrong," I whispered, he seemed to have noticed that I had moved my lips and stopped laughing," the world will not be re born, whatever you plan to do to help this man who you call he or him. The world will be in ruin, with the benders to come out and clean and protect the world it will go into poverty. You may live on the top of a hill in a mansion as a slave to your master who you call he or him. But you will never see the light of the sun or feel its warmth on your face. I hope you're happy now!" I screamed at him, I could feel the power running through my blood, I could see my tattoos, and I could see them glowing," I hope you're proud who you would grovel in submission to fed your own ambition!"

At that moment he jumped up and yelled. At first it was just a yell of anger and then it morphed into words.

"Get out of my face!" and he walked out of the door. It sliding shut behind him.

"It seems that you have gotten yourself out of mine," I laughed to myself, my tattoos were still providing light in the room.


	28. Chapter 28

Candle's POV.

My friends still weren't back, wherever they were. I was starting to get worried, but none of the signs on my hands had gone out. I was sure that they probably were being questioned like I had. I didn't trust them not to give away anything, but I don't think they will. Though if they were to be tortured right in front of me I would give all the information they need to make the torture stop.

It's stupid for anyone to trust people not to give away things. Lots of people can have the simplest things get them to spit out information. No real life situation is ever going to be like in the movies where the heroes get everything.

My hands were bound behind me back and I was now in a tube. It seemed like they now knew that I was capable and strong enough to bend myself out of that prison. I had spent hours kicking and trying to get my hands free. I had used the small bit of firebending that I knew to try and melt the plastic, but everything was bending proof.

Then the door open. there was standing was the man who hated me most. The leader of this place.

"Come, now. I have something to show you," he was smiling that demonic smile. Half of me wanted to punch that smirk right off his thin face. He came over and unlocked the tube. The rope that held my hands had a longer rope leading to the man. He simply grabbed hold of it and jerked me out of the cell. I stayed calm, no matter how much I wanted to airbend to hell out of him,

We walked down a white hall. They were all like that. The halls reminded me mostly of the halls in Star Wars. It if felt like it too, with man and women walking down the white hallways. They all had mask on, and some wore lab coats with it. Some were in full body armor, and the others had on suits.

As I walked through the building I tried to memorize the hallways, but they were all to alike. Every single one had the same amount of rooms in the same places. The only difference was that each room was different. One looked like a testing chamber, another was a weather station, there were some kitchens and break rooms, and I saw bed dorms.

The man holding my rope would sometimes yank it to make me slow down. I was surprised how much energy I had gained in the last day. I felt like I could create a storm with the snow here. But I couldn't see the snow. There were no windows. No loose panels and no people who would go against this place and help us get out of here.

I stayed quiet the whole way. Though a question stayed in the back of my mind, where was I going? Surely this man doesn't want to talk to me again, since he got so fed up with me in the first 10 minutes. I mean I still have energy to say some more things that can make mind do a back flip.

We turned one more corner and then he stopped me. We stood in front of a large door, which looked much like the door at the chamber I was kept in. A small metal strip mounted up on the wall said Chamber B. Mine had said Chamber A, which I had learned was probably the safest place in the whole building.

The man typed in some numbers, which I didn't care to remember. It was probably something they didn't want me to know, but hey how was I going to get out of this death trap anyway. I mean according to them they have had us for a week and this has been the first day I had actually stayed awake.

The door slid open, at first I couldn't see anything. I felt the untying of the ropes around my hands and then a push. I groaned as I hit the floor. It was quite in here but I heard a gasp. I sat up, and almost out of instinct now, I lit a fire.

Almost as soon as I did it went out, I saw what I had wish I didn't. There I cages were our parents. All of my friends had been sitting by the cages. I tried lighting the fire again, on my third try I did it.

"Mom?" There was a woman at the very end of the line of cages who answered.

"Candle," the voice was quiet, quiet enough that it sounded like she was dying, I got up and ran to her. I knew I was crying, I knew that I must have looked like a total wreck. I knew that I hadn't seen this woman since last year in August.

They were all in cages, I could get Zach to help me try to metal bend. Even if I didn't know how. I could try to take the water from my sweat and try to cut the metal beams. I could try to slash at it with air.

I reached out for her in the cage. She was chained to the wall behind the cage. The chains were so short that she couldn't reach back. I felt like killing the person who ever did this. My mind was wasn't working right now, I was working without a thought. I was trying to cut the bars with air, I tried to water bend them. I even tried to metal bend them.

I could hear voices in the back ground. And then I could hear screaming. Something had happened, but my mind still didn't work. I felt myself being pulled back, I tried fighting it. But whoever it was, was strong. Then I felt it stop, I was confused. But something hit me, something that had a needle and before I knew it I was on the floor pass out.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

When I woke up, I was still on the floor that I had passed out on. Though it was quieter. I could hear breathing, whether it was mine or not. It was still dark and it still felt natural. My hair had been put up in a ponytail and braided. It had also been brushed, recently,

because I could feel the slight stinging in my head.

Light was rushed across the whole room. I could see everyone, they all looked half afraid and half relieved. Sapphire was by her mother and so were the others. Well Zach also had his father with his mother and Mara had her Aunt.

"Why am I on the floor?" I asked.

"You sorta had a freak out when you saw your mother in the cage. You tried to bust her out when a man came in. We started to scream at you to stop, but you didn't seem to hear us. The man plunged a nettle in your neck. You fell asleep after that," Gabe explained.

"I started to fix you up because you looked like you had gone through a lawn mower," Mara said. I reached behind it felt the braid. It was a simple braid that went down to the bottom of my back.

"Mom...," I whispered.

"Yes?" she said louder. I looked over at her. Her body was thinner that the last time I saw her. It had been over a year, but she still had the same look, no matter what they had done to her she looked as beautiful as before. I could see her cheekbones clearly though, it looked like they had fed her only one meal a day.

They had been feeding us only once a day too, I'm sure that hasn't changed for them.

"Why did I not know about dad," it came out before I could think about what I had just said. I heard some small gasps that had happened on the other side of the room. I knew that this room was also being monitored.

"When your father and I realized that you were a bender we did everything in our power to make sure it didn't happen around other people. Your father said his family were firebenders and that he could take you to his mother and father's house and raise you there. He said that he could raise you to control your power. I refused and said that it was too dangerous, that you would get hurt in some way. We would have fights over it, up until the day your father left. I had told you he had died to keep away the curiosity about him. It was to protect you," she finished. I felt like breaking down and crying.

"Do you still I will get hurt?" I asked.

"I know you have been hurt," she told me. I knew she saw my cut up clothes, and I knew that she knew that we had captured. How else would we have been here? But she meant something deeper, inside.

"We have to get out of here," I said.

'You're right, but how," was the main thing that everyone spoke into my mind.

I tried to remember about what happened back before we got caught. It was blurry, definitely blurry. I could remember that I was flying with my friends. How could I be flying? Last time I checked humans don't fly. But no, we were jumping.

That's right! We were Base Jumping. And Mara was talking to me, she had given me a thing.

"Mara!" I yelled at her she jumped. It looked like she had been thinking too," that thing you gave me!"

"What?" She asked. I explained to her jumping between my mind and talking to her physically. I looked around when I was done, there were poker faces all around me. Clearly the half sentences that they had heard were confusing.

"She's right," Mara said.

"Well back up and tell us what's going on?" Gabe said, sounding very annoyed.

When me and Mara talked we had talked the important parts through our minds. We were being watched.

'We are going to break out. We are going to have to do this when we walk out. I am sure they have everything that we had on us in a room,' I whispered into the other's minds. They seemed to be considering the logistics of this. My mom and the other adults looked even more confused. They must have not known that we could talk to each other.

'Candle, how do we know which room it is?' Zach asked.

'We don't and that's okay. We, meaning you and me, Zach. We are going to hit the walls and floor. You remember how Henry taught us how to feel the vibrations? And do you remember how he told us how metal has earth in it, well that's the key. We are going to have to do this quickly and quietly so they don't come running in with a needle and put us to sleep,' I knew this plan could go very bad. If one of us were to be captured then they would hold them against his or her own will.

'Candle, once we get our things how are we going to us our stuff to get out of here?' Gabe was the next one to whisper in my mind. I considered it.

'We all have weapons. Whether they are our bending or something else. Like I was saying to Mara she got laser chapstick for Christmas from someone who is unknown. I got that sword. You have a sword. Zach had the whole place of he can learn how to metal bend in a short time. Alex has all the air in the world. As long as there is air we have Sapphire and Mara,' I told him. We now had about 12% of a plan, which is better that 11%.

Everyone knew what was next, we fight our way. There another 30%. Now for our parents. They are too weak to move, so we need to move them. We could move them with our bending. Sapphire can't do that, she would burn them. We need Mara for her bending and the chapstick, Gabe has to fight with his sword, I am also doing that, Zach is going to learn metal bending quickly or I am. So Alex is left to help them.

I felt bad that I had to leave it to him to bend them out of here.

'Gabe, once we have out things I need you to rig an explosion. An explosion to the outside. While we are fighting we need to look out for a room with clothes meant for the outside,' I said. That was about as my plan went. It was terrible and had many flaws, but if we can pull this off we will be free.

I nodded, the others did. I looked at my mom, she looked confused but trusted me. She nodded, I looked around at the other adults. They nodded too, determination roared in their eyes.


	29. Chapter 29

Candle's POV.

We sat waiting for them to come and get us. The room was quiet and tense, I wanted it it end so bad, but how could I end it? We sat for what seemed like hours, my tattoos had stopped glowing and we were in complete darkness. Half of me was glad I couldn't see anyone, but from time to time someone would try to talk to me.

The others were probably talking to themselves, but I didn't want any part of it. I kept on thinking about this man, who ever he is. I how could I fight someone I don't know and I don't even know what he looks like! This man also had the power over thousands of men, and I was sitting here with 5 other people. I guess I had my friends from the amazon jungle, but we were banished from the tribe. I could go see my dad and my friends in Yellowstone. But they pretty much add up to 9 more people. So about 15 people including me, the odds were against us.

I groaned while I thought about this. I could just stay here and not carry out the plan, I would be tested on but they would keep me alive. Me and Zach had been tapping the floor for the hours, and I was sure we had located it. Zach was the only person I talked to, but that was to say one or two words to each other and then going to back to work.

The door opened, there were 6 men waiting. It was now or never. I stood up, and the rush of adrenaline power through me. The 6 men dragged us out into the hall, all 6 of us stayed quiet and waiting.

We were only a few seconds away from the room. Each step that we took I could feel the vibrations in the floor. I couldn't breath each passing second I could feel myself tensing up.

There! We passed the corner and down at the end of the hallway was a locked room saying 'examination'. That was the room I had felt our things in, the only reason I had found them was because of Sapphire's blue fire. I guess it was now useful.

We walked down the hallway, the men holding us had guns. They must have been lighting guns, but Sapphire could probably deflect it easily. There were also people in the rooms around us. I counted 6 rooms alternating down the hallway. They could hold any number of people, especially since one of them was a dorm room.

I looked back at my friends, their faces were full of determination. Once I nodded Alex would move first knocking out the guy holding him and running back to our parents. By the time he got there we would have already drawn out most of the people to our hallway. I knew we were important and he, whoever he was, would not let us get away.

I nodded at Alex and almost immediately he jumped up and slammed his head into the man's neck. The man scream and let go of Alex. He bolted away, by that time all of us were free. Having slammed our heads into the men holding us. The rest of us ran down the hallway to the room marked 'examination'. Even if our bags weren't in there we would at least have our weapons and what ever may have interested them in there.

Though before we got there the whole hallway exploded with men and women. Some who could bend, other who couldn't but had lighting guns, and some were even people dressed in lab coats rushed out to fight us. I didn't want to start a fight, even though I had plan one, but you can't really ignore the feeling of lighting rushing past you left and right.

"Sapphire!" I yelled. She didn't even say anything but she ran ahead of me and deflected all of the lighting. Basically she had stopped, planted her feet into the floor, and started to trace her body. The lighting started to collect around her until there was a giant ball of blue lightning dance around her.

Really quick they started to notice that shooting at us was not going to work. So they called out the benders, Zach had not been able to learn how to metal bend and neither had I. But lucky for us the metal benders here had started to rip up the floor anyway. I airbender stuff that came at me.

"Mara, you and me need to break open that door," I pointed at the door, which now seemed a mile away.

"OK," she yelled over the noise. Zach had stopped a while back because further back one of the metal benders had pulled up enough to show some rock. It was on the wall, so that made me guess we were on the side of a mountain. Gabe, Mara, and me were the only ones left. We were gaining ground fast and before I knew it we were at the door. It was large and metal, it had a keypad but it had been damaged because of some flying piece of metal.

"Stop!" I turned around to see a non-bender pointing a lightning gun at us," Stop! Put you hands up!"

I told to Gabe, he looked really annoyed, almost angry. He looked back at me and then ran up to the non-bender and punched him in the face. The man fell to the floor knocked out cold. I sighed, no matter how much I didn't want to hurt anyone it always happens.

I turned around to see Mara, she had a blade of water in her hand. Before I could inhale the door burst open after she sliced it open. The room was dark and looked very clean compared to what was going on outside. I walked in, on the table in the middle of the room sat Sapphire's blue fire. Next to it was our swords and Mara's chap-stick.

We walked up to the table. I handed Gabe his sword, he started to strap it behind his back. I got mine, but I strapped it around my waist. Mara pocketed her chapstick and picked up Sapphire's blue fire. They appeared to be in good condition, but the rest of the rooms looked run down. When I said it looked better than outside I meant it, but the inside was still a mess. Who ever worked in here must have never heard of the concept of cleaning. It smelled like several things had died in here too.

"I want to get out of here. Gabe the explosives are outside down the hall to the right," I told him.

"Yeah, I can't argue with you there," he said and then sprinted off. Mara and I went outside, the battle had lessened. More men and women had fallen to the ground hurt. It looked like non of them were dead, which relieved me. Sapphire still had that ball of lighting around her, but was now shooting it back at the people shooting at her. Zach was running out of earth that he could pull from the wall.

"Sapphire, Zach come on!" I yelled at them. They stopped what they were doing and ran to follow us. Zach had located the room with the protective gear. Basically by feeling for which room had the most intake of people from the door. It was near the door, but I wasn't planning on going out the front door. I wanted this place to be rid from the world.

"Candle!" someone yelled from behind me. I looked back. There was Alex, but he looked like he had drained himself of all his power. He had our parents floating around him, though they were close to the ground.

"Alex, I forgot about you! What took you so long?" I asked while helping him up. He had stopped bending. Mom was helping the others walk now.

"Come on! We have people following us," I told him. Zach had blocked an area with some rock, but it was thin. We had about 2 minutes to get dress in the right gear. I met up with Gabe, who by the looks of it had already set the bomb.

"Hey, I found the others," I told him.

"Cool, the bomb is set to go off in 4 minutes. Hope you're ready for that," he said while throwing a large jacket at me.

"Yeah, I am. I don't know about the others," I looked over, they were getting the parents dressed first. I ran over and gave the jacket to my mom, who hastily put it on. I threw some snow pants at her and then a hat. Mara was looking around for a box of gloves and yelled when she found them.

We all got dressed as fast as we could and waited for the bomb to go off.

"One minute," Gabe said he had to have been counting because he didn't have a watch.

Then the whole building shook and a loud wave of sound knocked me over along with the rest of us. The bomb must have gone off.

The whole world was black and white when I woke up. I must have passed out from impact. I sat up to see what it looked like around me. For one it was really cold, colder than I have ever been in my life. Two the whole building that I was once standing in had fallen down and burned to charcoal.

"Guys?" I asked, around me was completely black. I tried to sit up until I noticed that something was holding me down. I looked at what was on me. It was Gabe, he looked like he had been trying to block me from something.

Then I remembered, the explosion was so big that it had started to knock down the building. People were yelling and Gabe had knocked me to the floor saying the whole place was going to fall.

Now that it had the place looked like a ghost town. I pushed harder and got a groan out of him. I sighed and laid back down. It would be a long time before I got him off of me again. The cold was really cold, but I could only feel it on my face. I hadn't been able to get a mask on before the explosion. At least everything else was covered. I knew that I had to get something on soon or I would lose part of my face.

People had told me that nothing should be exposed in the cold like this, but I had never imagined it being like this. Gabe was still on me and I was sure that the warmth coming form him was keeping the rest of my body warm. I pulled my hood over my face and slipped my arms back to where they were. I started to doze off before I could think of anything else to do about my face.


	30. Chapter 30

Candle's POV.

I woke up. This time I didn't have a body on top of me keeping me warm, so naturally I was cold. It surprised me how cold it was, but it wasn't like the cold I felt back there.

Wait? Where I am? The room I was in looked to be made out of ice. The ice was smoothed in a arch pattern and shined bright. The smoothness of the ice captured the shining of the crystals inside and if you looked too long at one part it would hurt your eyes. The bed I was on was soft and almost felt like a normal bed. There was also a dull aching pain my head that I noticed along with the rest of the room.

To the left of me was a table made of ice. On it sat a very cold glass of water and a bottle of pills. I looked over even more. On a stool sat a boy. He was smiling down at me. I knew this boy, I knew his face. I knew his smile. This boy was Gabe. I smiled back, I was overjoyed to see him alive. He looked different though, maybe because he was wearing a fur top that was a light blue. It had a hood and the strings that would pull a hood close had feathers and a bead for each string on the end.

"Welcome," he said.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"About a day and half. They had to treat you and calm down that Asama attack you were having," he laughed a little. I laughed too.

Though I was slightly worried too. I hadn't had a Asama attack since 2 years ago. Almost right before this. Though even more before this my doctor had told me that I had gotten rid of Asama a least for awhile. He told me that I didn't have to take my medicine anymore and as long as I didn't push it I would be fine.

Yeah well I guess I pushed it. When I was smaller they would put me in a giant plastic box. It would have a contraption and on the end was a tube. They would make me blow into to it and measure my breathing. Sometimes they would cut off my air for probably 3 seconds to show me what ever happened if I had stopped breathing.

I would play small games, like blow until the balloon pops, blow until the hot air balloon reaches the top, or bowl until the bowling ball knocks down the bowling pins. They were small but hey gathered lots of information about my bronchial tubes. In the first second they would see how much air I was capable of blowing out. Then in the next they would see how much air the very very tiny tubs were blowing out. Usually I would be in the good range.

"How long has it been since you have woken up, and where are we?" I asked him.

"Well we are in the south pole, about one mile from the charted South pole. They had found us after the explosion when they sent a scouting group out to see what had happened. Since they had had seen smoke. When the scouting troop found us and noticed we were alive they took us back here and treated us and our parents. As for me being awake. I woke up about 5 minutes after they finished tending to me. They said that I had had a few metal bits that had cut me through my suit, but since I had got us down quick enough we suffered little. Though i took most of the damage. You're welcome I guess," He said. I smiled, but on the inside I was mentally slapping myself.

How could I have been so foolish. When I woke up I should have checked on Gabe inside of using his body heat to my advantage to stay alive. God...

"So Mom and the others are cool?" I asked.

"Yeah, they're fine. They have been fed meals, all of us have in fact. Small meals though. According to them we had been in there for about a month. Though only two weeks of it you remember. They must have gassed you every time you didn't give information," Gabe explained. I tried taking in all this information at once.

Once again I was happy Mom was okay, but who were these people. Why had they so willingly took us in. Had they taken pity on us? Probably. Though why try to feed extra mouths, when you live in the freaking south pole. I am sure there isn't much food here, right?

"So yeah, come on. They asked to see you when you woke up," Gabe said standing up. His chair scraped across the ice, but no marks were left behind. I felt on my face before I stood up. There was one bandage and before I felt the others things on my face they fell off. They must have been heat pads because cold rushed to those spots so quickly.

Gabe helped me walk since I hadn't done so in a day and a half. I had assured him I could do it. I think he just wanted an excuse to hold my hand. So we walked down the hallway hand in hand. The hall that we walked in had skylights every 2 meters. An occasional door appeared, but that was it. The light that came through made the ice crystals glow different colors that would weave in and out of the ice.

We walked down many halls, Gabe seemed to know where he was. I guess he must have gotten bored of seeing me sleeping and maybe even the others sleeping.

We walked around one final corner to see a sitting room. There were chairs in this room. They were made out of ice that twist and turned. There was a hall right across from this one that had Zach and Sapphire walking hand in hand down it. There was a hallway that if it had come out any further it would intercepted our hallway. Down it walked Alex and Mara.

'Hey,' I whispered to all of them. Each of them twitched like they were in pain by this one word.

'It hurts,' were the two words I got back. I now knew what they meant, because as soon as it was whispered in my head a whole wave of pain exploded in my head. I twitched and so did Gabe. We might have said 'hey' at the same time and received the same reply.

In this sitting room sat two men each in a chair of there own. There was a large couch that sat across from them. There were other chairs as well but they seemed to disappear. There was a small kitchenette, I guess for if the guest got hungry or something.

The two men in this room looked very different of course. One was tall and and brood the other was small and lean. The brood one had a club strapped to his side and a fur coat like the one Gabe wore. Except his was darker than the like blue that Gabe had. there was a small symbol on his coat. It had two golden wings that crossed over. Wings of freedom.

The lean one wore the same thing as the brood one, but it was smaller and he had a symbol of a paw print of his. Care, I guessed, he must be a doctor. They both seemed interested to see us.

"Welcome," the brood one said," sit please."

"We would prefer to stand," Mara said, her voice was hard. What was wrong with her?

"Okay, so as I was saying welcome to the South Pole..," he went on about something, but the lean one caught my attention. He wasn't saying anything. He was letting the brooder one talk. He was looking at all of us, taking us. He met everyone at least once in the eye. But he never met me, he looked beyond me or at my body.

'Hello,' I whispered to him. He seemed to jump a little. Though not enough for anyone to notice.

He gave a look that said how did you do that.

'What? This?' I told him. It was a bad idea. I wave of pain washed over me, I almost passed out.

"You're in pain," the lean one said. Everyone stopped talking. They looked at him.

"What?" the brood one said. A flash of fear went through the lean one's eyes, but he moved on.

"She's in pain. You can see it, the blood rush from her face and her eyes are glazed over," the lean one said.

"Candle?" Gabe asked and then pushed me over to a couch. Before I could ask for it the lean one ran over to a little fridge in the kitchenette and threw me something. It looked like a carbonated drink. I handed it to Gabe, who opened it. I drank some and the black went away, the fizz keeps you awake and gives you a little wake up. I didn't know what it was, it tasted like Sprite, but it wasn't. You can't get that stuff out here, plus it was better.

"This is good," I mumbled to myself as I had my head between my legs. Making the blood rush back to my head.

"Why does she have tattoos?" the lean one asked, judging by the voice.

"Well you see, we are special people. We are called benders,"Gabe started to explaining," I am Gabe, next to me is Candle, on my other side is Alex, then Zach, than Sapphire, and finally Mara. Candle is more special she is the Avatar-," before Gabe could finished they sat up and gasped. I had thrown my head up by now.

The lean one looked like he had seen a ghost. The brood one looked like he saw heaven. They moved toward me. My tattoos started to glow and I threw up my hand. The ice below their feet broke and they jumped out of the way.

"I'm sorry! I didn't do it, well I did, but it wasn't me. I-i...," the two men were smiling. Which made me uneasy.

"It's fine," the lean one said and then he started to move his hands up in a slow motion. The ice formed over and polished," if anything you proved something. By the way I am Cole, and this is Marlark."

"You're a bender," Mara whispered.

"Come, we will get you a place to stay, clothes, and your things," Marlark said. Evidently he did this all backwards. First he lead us down some hallways and took us into a room. On different tables sat our things. My sword, Gabe's sword, Mara's lip-stick, and Sapphire's bowl of fire. Which had melted the table it sat on. Sapphire had quickly said sorry and Cole remade the table.

They took us down a few floors to the bottom one which was when I had learned that the top

floor was used for really bad and important cases. The lower it got the less serious. We walked outside, and I got hit with an icy blast of snow. That's when I realized I was in a plastic dress, I didn't even have on a bra. I had sock, which got soaked in the snow. Marlark said it was across the street. The tailor that is, but it was a snowy path in my opinion.

We all ran into the building. On the outside it was snowy, but on the inside it was metal and wooden. Where they had gotten this stuff was beyond me. Clothes and coats hung on rackets. Cole ran to the back of the store, which was a few floors. Marlark said that he must be off. Probably to go run a clan.

Cole came back with 6 people following him. 3 girls and 3 boys. One for each of us. These people were dressed in coats. They wore all different colors on their coats. They all had different colors of hair. Blue, red, and purple for the 3 boys. Pink, green, and orange for the girls.

"Come with me," the girl with pink hair told me. I followed her up a few flights of stairs until I came to a floor that had a curtain as a door. We both walked in.

"So what types of clothes do you like?" she asked.

"Uh..." I clearly was not good at this stuff, she was going to make me an outfit," warm clothes?"

She laughed," it was a joke. Here put on this robe and come with me," she walked behind another curtain on the other side of the small room. The room didn't have much. The walls were a light brown and the curtain that hung was white. I stripped of my soaked socks and the plastic dress. I quickly slipped on the robe and ran after the girl with pink hair.

She was standing a studio. All the walls were covered in papers with drawings of clothes. There were coats, dresses, shirts, pants, some stuff I knew no one would wear in this weather.

"You see, I love clothes. Though when I ever I get someone like you I have to think about you. I have to know you. So who are you?" she asked turning around smiling.

"Uh... well. I am Candle, I am the Avatar. I... play the violin, my favorite color is orange. I like cats, I have green hair and um orange eyes. I can do karate, I can rock climb a little. Um, I can fight with a sword fairly well-," I was cut short, which I was glad. I was running out things.

It was one of those questions where you just forget whoever you are.

"Got it. Go sit over there," she said. I follow her orders. I sat on the one free chair in the place. I sat forever and soon fell asleep.

I was woken up by a hard shove. The room was lit by lights from a lamp and outside it was pitch dark. The girl with pink hair held up the top of my coat. It was awesome. The base was made of white wool, towards the bottom is started to get orange and then ended in black for the rim of the coat. The strings were a very light green and had black feathers on the bottom with two white beads white beads.

"You like it?" she asked, she seemed overjoyed," the pants are pure wool. there are about two layers and the pattern is very close together, it will be extra warm. The boots are made of brown leather. They have a blubber sole and the inside also has wool. The hood inside is soft and is meant to keep in warmth. The gloves are black and will capture the sun rays to keep the heat in."

"Yes, I love it. Thank you...um," I didn't know her name.

"Amanda. I am Amanda," she said. I hugged her and then she sent me off to change. I did, and for the first time I was warm. It felt great.


	31. Chapter 31

Candle's POV.

I had been escorted to the room I would be staying in. I was still going to be in the Hospital, but now they had put me in the resident part. This part of the hospital had been carved into the ice. The whole tribe's tribe was built in a giant crater.

My new clothes were indeed warm. Though this was all I owned now. My sword and my clothes. Anything that White Hair might had haven would have been blown up by now or maybe turned into a block of ice. Sapphire had come by my room to talk to me about getting to the next place. Though I told her that anything that I had in my backpack was gone. Including that letter that Mom had left.

We still couldn't ask my Mom because she was still under lots of watch since she hasn't shown any signs of gaining any weight. Which she desperately needed to be able to walk. I wanted to talk to her. The time I had with her might have freaked her out a little. With that mental breakdown and how I asked her those questions and then blew up the place. Stranding us out in the middle of the one of the coldest places on Earth. Yeah, I probably wasn't mentally sane anymore.

I knew one thing though. I had killed a lot of people. Me and that plan to get out, I had blown up a whole base for the enemy and probably ended up killing a couple hundred people. If there was one thing I had learned, it was that the people who won in wars were always the ones who weren't good. They always won at a price, like the lose of something valuable.

I guess what I am trying to say is. You can't win without something loosing. Yeah, us that as a quote. Maybe put it in my autobiography. That would be funny... yeah I was losing my mind.

"Candle?" I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said. In stepped Mara. She looked like she had been crying.

"You look dreadful," she said. Her English accent shown through. I felt like smiling.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" I asked.

"I see," she said, her face didn't meet my eyes.

"Mara, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Candle, I-i don't know what to do," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we have been traveling all across the world. One so you can learn how to master all the elements and two because we're running. Candle, we just killed hundreds of people, how can I live knowing that?" she asked, by now she was at the foot of my bed. She was laying against it crying.

"Mara, do you think we are going to win in this war?" I asked plainly.

"What? Yeah, I think we are," she said.

"Then we are going to half to pay the price," I told her. She continued to cry. It almost hurt me to see her like this. She looked dreadful Her hair had grown very long. To where it was now down to her butt. Mine had too. I can feel it brush against my knees when I walk. We all hadn't had haircuts in a year and a half.

I ended up leaning back in my bed. The my bed was now queen sized, like the one I had had at home. I wasn't used to having such a big bed. Though I still hadn't grown out of the habit of yelling, kicking, and walking in my sleep. I had been told countless times to stop, awake or not. After about an hour of listening to Mara crying softly i had fallen asleep.

'''''''''''''''''''

I was woken up by soft mumbling. The room looked empty though. I might have been hearing the sounds from outside. I sat up and listened again. There it was the soft mumbling again. It came with vibrations too. I felt around for my glasses, and found them. I quickly threw off the my blanket, which hadn't been on when I had fallen asleep, and walked down the hall.

I hadn't put on my shoes, so I was just in wool socks. Which didn't mind me, the wool absorbed the sound of my feet hitting the ice floor. The voice's vibrations were getting harder. It seemed like they were all in one place, but were all walking around in the same room. It was far away though. I ended up walking down a set of stairs and further into the ice that was dug out to make these hallways.

I noticed that this was a system. And the vibrations that I was feeling were coming from everywhere. The voices I heard were coming from the vents in the walls. I was underground, I was under the whole city. Though I didn't know where I was. I hadn't thought to leave any tracks. But I could find my way back. I think, well the room that I was staying in was right across from an open window. I could just try to feel for an air flow.

I didn't need to right now. I wanted to look around. This underground place was amazing. It had rooms with things in them. Mostly weapons of some sort. Sometimes I would come across a room that had things that I didn't know you could have down here. Like there would be rooms filled with wood or metal. There would be freezers for d=food they they could hold for a long time.

I started to get bored after awhile. Most of this stuff was storage rooms. There wasn't anything good. So I decided to go back. I had felt on the way back random air streams that weren't the one that I had been holding onto for the whole time. I decided that if I needed to I would come back down here.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Candle!" I heard a voice coming up behind me. I turned to see Alex running up to me. I had just come up from the underground tunnels.

"Hey," I smiled and waved.

"Candle, there is someone who would like to meet you. Says he's the main water bender teacher here," Alex said," was telling him about us and then asked for you."

"Okay, let's go then," I said and he nodded. Thank God we were near my room so I put on my shoes and then headed out with him.

The air was crisp today. I pulled up my hood to block out the sun and keep the warmth in. There were no clouds today. I thought that was a good sign of a good day. Though Cole had told me that weather can go wrong really, really quickly. I believed him, but mostly my mind didn't think about it.

The city was made in a crater, so that the tribes leader lived in the back in a huge building and the others were spread out. They seemed to have a system, with the canals all set up and bring it fresh water. They had huge walls that protect the exposed part of the tribe. Everything here was made out of ice and compacted snow. It was amazing how they kept this place a secret, with its walls facing out into the ocean. They claim that people work with fog all day and night to keep any eyes away.

I saw that people walked around and hung out like regular people here. They laughed and cried. Played and read. I felt like I was back home. But of course I would be let out soon, or I would convince them to let me leave. Either way I had to get back to America to see my dad, and I needed to go back to my school. I had no earthly idea why I wanted to, there was just a gut feeling.

We arrived at the main hall in just a few minutes. Alex had bolted when we got outside. He looked excited to show me to him. We walked up the billion stairs that lead to the big doors. Compared to them I must have looked like a tiny ant. There standing in front of the doors was a man. Just like Alex had said. The man looked fairly young. About half way through his 45 year?

"Welcome. I have heard a lot about you," said the man. He had hair that was just graying. His face looked hardened and long. He had bright blue eyes. They looked equally as cold and hard. He wore a long blue coat. His boots were brown, but they looked overly old. He wore gloves and looked as if he spent of his time outside.

"I would being lying if I said the same to you," I told him. We had finished walked up the stairs. What I couldn't see from bottom I could now. The area we were in had lots of waterways winding in and out. Fountains with cold water flowed into these waterways. Over to my left I could hear a small waterfall.

"I see. Well I hear from your friend here that you are the Avatar. He says that you fight with water and have learned from the tribes in the Amazon," he said, he also seemed to be leading somewhere. His face had this sly smile on his face.

"Yeah, so?" I felt my anger rising. This dude, whoever he was gave me the same feeling that White Hair gave me back in the cages.

"Some here would say that you have not learn properly how to water bend. I would say the same," his smile had gone away now. His blue eyes roared with fire," and also here in our tribe women don't learn how to fight with water. They learn to heal."

"And, so what if I learned from the tribe in the Amazon. Amber was a great teacher, she never gave up. Even when Mara and I would play around. And oh yeah, Mara is the utmost excellent water bender I have ever met. And she is a girl," I was yelling now. I could feel Alex backing away.

"Girl! You listen here, you should know how to speak to your elders," he yelled.

"Why don't we just go now!" I yelled back. He seemed content with that, and before I could react he threw an ice disc at me. At the last moment I moved my arm up and blew it away with air bending.

"Why don't we keep this to just water," he said. I nodded and then backflipped, drawing water from a near by fountain. I threw my arms out. Water followed with less than a second delay. I didn't know how I was doing this, it must have been instinct. I turned the water into daggers of ice.

The old man seemed to be fine with this and merely drew up his hand. A wave of water followed blocking ever ice dagger. He smiled and then jumped and threw his arms out. A huge wave of water followed.

It made me think of water had happened at Yellowstone. Angel was making that huge wave of water. Though this time I knew what to do. I didn't turn back and make a shield. I ran, the wave came closer and closer. Then at the last second I jumped up, using the water from the wave to launch myself up in the air.

I jumped over that wave. Taking the water away from the old man's control and sending it back at him. He, for a split second, looked surprise. He must have never met a girl like this. But he got ready. Unlike me he hunkered down and made a shield. The shield covered his whole body, it looked like it was made of 3 inch thick ice.

That in my mind was easy. After half of the water rain down on him. Weathering away the outer layer, I turned the water into more ice daggers.

The other half of water impaled themselves into the shield. I knew that on the inside the old man was working on reinforcing the layers. But I kept raining down on him. Once I ran out of water from the wave I had taken from him I used water from the other sources.

Soon I broke through. He ran back as the daggers rained down. He made it behind something when I stopped. He waited a minute, I knew he was catching his breath. I could feel the vibrations. Though since we were on solid ice it was fuzzy.

I felt something else. Someone was walking. I didn't bother turning around, I knew the steps. It was Gabe, he was walking up the stairs. Alex probably called him over.

"Hey Candle, how's it-," his voice stopped dead. He saw what had happened. There was the old man, now standing, looking at me. Wildfire burned in his eyes. He had some rips in his clothes.

"Come over here," Alex yelled over at Gabe. This seemed like a good moment for the old man. He had time to think about what he was going to do next. He got into stance, it was a slow one of what he had just done.

I knew what he was about to do. The vibrations came quickly to me. This time I knew what I was going to do.

He lunged forward again. The huge wave came again. He must have thought that I had run out of energy, considering where I had just come from. He probably thought that because, once again I am a girl.

I jumped into action. This time I was going to take my anger out. I entered the Avatar state. My tattoos glowed, my eyes had flashed blue. And I my got into defense. He looked once again surprised, this time he didn't hide it.

The wave came upon me. The old man was now riding on top of it. Once again I jumped, but this time I jump towards the wave. I landed and shoved my whole body forward.

The wave turned to ice. The whole thing was a giant wave of ice. The old man who was riding on top was now stuck in it. He feet were trapped. I airbended up to him. By the time I got there he had the blood drain from his face.

"Don't you dare cross me again," I warned him," but it was a great fight. Helped me get some practice in. I guess you were lucky that you only said that I could use water. Man would have been a fight if I had used the three elements I knew."

Now I was sitting next to the old man. He was still standing. I think he was too shocked to move.

"Oh, by the way. What's your name old man?" I asked smiling.

"Y-you beat me. And you only used water. You had only learned in the Jungle. How would they teach you how to freeze. And your tattoos, they have stopped glowing," he looked like a nervous wreck.

"Hey old man. Are you cool? You looked like your about to have a heart attack. Do I need to take you to the hospital. I can called Alex and Gabe over. They can come and help," I stood up getting ready to call them over.

"No, no," the old man put his hand on my shoulder," Candle, I am ok. I have never been beaten by a woman before."

I looked over at him. I was shocked and smiled.

"Heck yeah. I am a woman!" I yelled to the sky. The old man laughed.

"Well of course you are. My name is Alvin, by the way," he said.

"Great nice to meet you," I shook his hand," fair warning. Don't cross my friend Mara. I could do what I did in the Avatar state. She could do what I did without it. I am sure she could do it with a flick of her wrist."

I opened my eyes. The color had gone from Alvin's face. I laughed, I knew I had just opened up a new world to him. He would probably start taking a women more seriously now. Probably get them to start fighting.


	32. Chapter 32

Candle's POV.

We all sat in my room. And by all I mean that all six of us were in my room along with my mom and the others parents. We had been talking and mainly asking about what had been going on to our parents when they were in the cages.

It had been two days after that huge I had with Alvin, and that afternoon mom had woken up. I had over joyed to see her, and I slowly told her the story of what happened earlier that day. She seemed shocked at first, probably because I had a fight with a high official. But I soon finished and she laughed it off. I was glad I didn't get in trouble with her, I mean I only just met up with her a few weeks ago.

"So today is the day?" My mom said. Her were sparked with excitement.

"Yeah, today is the day," I sighed, I wasn't to happy about going back to a place that was being so closely watched. We were going back to America.

Everyone was excited and I was too. I wanted to see my school, I wanted to see if it had been built back. I also wanted to see dad. As far as I knew he has thought I was dead or lost for about a half a year, maybe more. Considering that it was actually February and not at least early January. Scouts had reported to us, after request, how long they had thought we were in there.

So I had about 6ish months to finish a war, master firebending and the other elements. I had about 6ish months to make sure that no one else got hurt. I would not let anyone get hurt as long as I was there to make sure they weren't going to be hurt.

"So when we get back, what is the first thing you are going to do?" Zach asked me.

"Shower," I turned to him, he was sitting on the foot of my bed. He burst out laughing. We all had had showers here, but I wanted to take a shower in a place where the water would be the warmth I wanted it.

"Well I am going to get a haircut," Alex said looking really annoyed. His hair had grown greatly. He looked like the fandom version of Nico from Percy Jackson.

"Aww, but I don't want you to get rid of your Nico hair," I told him.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Don't ask," Gabe said in a warning tone. He knew that I knew that if Alex went any further with that question that I would have to end up explaining everything. Probably the smartest thing to do is to stop me before I could do any mental damage to the kid's brain.

"Well we should head out. Marlark will be expecting us in 20 minutes," Zach's mom was looking at a clock on the side of my wall. I had requested the clock after I had gotten so annoyed with the feeling of not knowing the time.

"Agreed," Alex's mom said. They all left my room and now it was deathly quiet. It made me afraid that something would pop out. Though my room was completely lit up through the skylight.

I quickly grabbed my sword which had been returned to me. It now had a new sheath and had been repaired after what had happened at the explosion. It had been polished so now the sword almost looked like silver. The handle was now golden and had been measured along with my hand to fit it perfectly. The sheath had a thick golden tip that had golden dragons flying around in it. In the middle was another thick strip of gold and this time had snakes on the middle. The final strip was at the top where the handle would rest. It had now sitting tiger on it. The leather ,that was in between the golden strips, had golden runes on them. At least that was what Cole had said when he had brought it by.

I made my bed and grabbed the pills that sat on the side table on the right side of my bed. They had given me these when I came in having an Asthma attack. I hadn't had one since, but I had been holding back on doing anything so intense. I stuffed them in a pocket that was on the inside on my coat. Then slipped the coat over my head and strapped on my boots. I looked through the door, back at my room one more time and then shut the door.

The hallway I walked down was equally as quiet. There wasn't even the sound of water running

through the walls. That sound had become so normal to me, but now there was nothing.

'Had the water been cut off for some reason,' I thought to myself, but I kept on walking. It was about 5 more minutes before I heard a sound.

It made me stop dead in my tracks. It sounded like frantic running. I turned around to Cole running my way. He had a freaked out look on his face and the color had left his face too.

"Cole-?" before I could even get out the second word he grabbed my wrist and shoved me into a wall. He had a hand covering my mouth and was telling me to shush.

"Shut up for a moment. they could hear you," he let go of my mouth and allowed me to breath again. My breath had quicken and I followed his gazed down the hallway. Like before it was dead silence. All I could hear was Cole's heavy breathing.

I was working at keeping my breath quiet. I worked on calming myself down so I could think.

"What's going?" I asked.

"They're here. In the city. They attacked an hour back," he said.

"Who?" I asked, now growing impatient.

"The people who work for him," Cole said, he was now backing up slowly trying not to make any sound.

"Oh...," I said it under my breath.

"Come on," Cole's voice was now a whisper. He bolted off running, but now you could barely hear his feet hitting the ground. I tried to mimic it as we ran but failed so bad.

"Candle stop," Cole said. I did he came back to me," get on my bad, you will give off our location if you keep on running."

"You can't be serious," I said. His face didn't phase. He was dead serious," fine."

I got on top of his back and he ran slower but still made little sound. We were running down a hallway I had been down before. It was the one I had taken so many times to go underground. I knew that we would be safe under there, and I think I knew where he was taking us. Though I held my tongue from telling him I had been here before.

"Why aren't you getting the others?" I asked.

"We are getting them separate from each other so we don't draw attention," Cole said. I had to admit it was smart.

"Are you all getting us at the same time?"

"No, we are waiting 5 minutes before getting one of you. So far Mara and Zach have been taken. I am sure that Gabe and Alex have been taken and are making their way too. Sapphire might just being taken. You mother and the other's mothers and fathers are being taken at once. It would take to long to take them one at a time. Plus they are still weak so the fast they all get there the fast we can let them rest and get them to not ask questions," he explained. I smiled at thinking that my mom would be okay.

We continued to run. Every once and a while Cole's ponytail would come up and hit me in the face. We had reached the underground tunnels and I was sure he could put me down now, but he didn't seem to mind. I felt air drifts down here, and I knew that we were going down the tunnel with the air drifts that I had felt.

More and more running I was starting to ache from my position.

"Cole put me down," I groaned, plus all the hopping for th past 40 minutes had made me feel sick.

"Okay," he said and stopped. He dropped me and I caught myself before I fully clasped on the floor. I glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He was looking back at the way we came, like some one would really follow us down here.

"Come on," Cole said and then started to run. How was he running for such a long time?

We came to the air drifts that I felt. It was amazing. It green grass and the warmth was like living in Georgia again. There was an opening at the top so you could see the sky. There was a bridge right in front of me. It lead across a small river that circled a medium island. The island was made of real dirt and grass. It had a large gate looking thing. The ones that had the two pieces of wood coming up and then the top of the wooden poles was connected by a slab of wood. Some Japanese characters were written on it. I had no idea what it said.

In the middle of the small island was a small lake. This lake had stepping stones around it. On the island was also a few trees and some bushes that grew flower and had butterflies around them. The trees were the ones that were low and had the branches that grew in a bunch and shaped a flat triangle ish.

By the lake sat Mara and Zach. They were silent and had two soldiers next to them. I walked across the bridge and made my way over to them. Mara looked frantic, but had also taken off her coat. Zach had done the same, and was also playing with a few rocks. Something he hadn't been able to to since the fight and explosion.

Zach had gotten a burn from the explosion, the fire had burned through his clothes. The only thing that kept it from getting really bad was the snow he had rolled over on when he was unconscious.

"Hey guys," I said, they both looked up.

"Nice to see you again," Zach muttered. I was sure that they had both been informed about what was going on. I was sure they felt as bad about it as me, we had once again lead people to us. And in doing that we probably got lots of people killed.

About 5 minutes later Gabe showed up. He also had his sword strapped to him, but he preferred to have it strapped to his back. His had also been fixed up. His sheath was a dark black and had silver smoke swirling on it. His sword was now polished too. He was pretty proud of it when he showed me, but what really concerned me was that this would have to cost a lot. I was almost possessive that this was not free.

After 5 more minutes Sapphire came in, and then another 5 and Alex walked in. Each one taking their sweet time to look around. After another 10 all our parents came in. Finally Marlark, who had come in with the parents, stood up from his sitting position and talked.

"It will be here any minute. Now I want you all to listen. No matter what you see or hear while you are taking off promise me that you will not make that plane stop. It is one way, and there is no other way out of this place," Marlark said.

I wanted to protest so hard. I was not going to leave this place knowing that people were being and captured, if they even took prisoners. Though Gabe gave me the look and I dropped my head. We waited in silence for a minute and then there was a hum. A plane the size of a few bus came up under the water. I was excited to see it do that. I had never seen an underwater plane.

"Everyone on!" yelled Marlark. We quickly did what he asked. As I sat down on the seat by the isle I looked outside of the window. Marlark had a hard face on, he was holding back the soft goodbye. Cole though had a hurt look on his face.

We submerged under the water. Before we were fully under I saw people with mask break into the garden we were just in. I saw a blast of lightning fly towards Marlark and I screamed and lunged for the window. Gabe grabbed hold of me and pulled me back down.

"The sign says to be buckled in," Gabe pointed at the sign above me. I looked at him, he too looked hurt. I felt a tear go down my cheek. I sat down and bulked up. Just as it clicked the plane sped up and a grasp the handles of my seat.

Gabe held my other hand the whole time. I forced myself to pass out so I didn't have to go through this again. It was easy since the darkness was already taking effect.

'''''''''''''''''

We arrived in America a day later. The whole day we had not talked except when people came by to asked if we wanted a drink or some food.


	33. Chapter 33

Candle's POV.

America was right below us. By like 3 feet. I was waiting for the plane to hit the ground. I didn't know when we had gotten into the air, or if we went back into water at times. Though the pilot told us that he would drop us off right outside of my house. They had told me while I was gone a small air force port had been made. So it would be a safe place to land. They also told me to expect all the house by my house to be gone. That where I had lived was now a wildlife preserve, and that my school had less people going since the fire. Woodstock had basically gotten a lot smaller.

I was sad to hear about that. Half of me was happy that I wouldn't have to deal with people all around me. But some of my friends lived in Woodstock. I only hope they are still there.

The plane hit the dirt ground. I jolted up, and felt the seat belt dig into my abdomen. I yelped in pain and then the ride smoothed out when we crossed onto concrete.

"Well to Woodstock Georgia," the intercom came on and told us. Then the plane came to a sudden stop and I lurched forward into the seat in front of me. I heard groans, and I, myself, groaned.

We slowly got up, and stretched our legs. Then I saw the door in the front open and one of the women who had been helping us was helping Alex's mother up. They walked outside, and the rest of us followed quickly after.

About a quarter mile away I could see my house. It was a lone house that had a field surrounding it now, and forest. I was dumbfounded. How could this had happened in a year and a half. I started to think what happened at school, it would be mid 9th grade. I wonder if the music program is still high and strong. Though with so many people moving...

"Candle," my mother walked over to me.

"I know," I said. We walked together to the house. Everyone else was about 10 meter behind us. Me and my mom held hands. The house looked the same as we left it, even the windows that had been broken were not any more.

"Thanks," I whispered. I know that the president had been able to keep our house here. I would have to thank him.

"Come on, lets go inside," I said pulling mom. She followed.

The house looked the exact way it had looked when I went to school that morning. No windows were broken, no doors knocked down. The counter had fresh fruit on it. All the food in fridge and pantry was good. My room was now re painted so it was a pale orange. There were large paintings on the walls. They had flowers made up of lines that crossed over themselves. My bed was made and I now had two side tables. On the left side table sat a picture frame of me and my friends the day we met. There was a small box on the side table too.

On the right side table was a picture of Gabe picking me up one day. I was sure mom had taken that a long time ago. There was also a small note. I picked it up and read:

Candle,

We have kept your house here for the protection of this land. While you were away the state of Georgia voted and turned a few counties to farm lands. Many people moved away to find better jobs.

We have fixed up your home for living.

\- Max Dane

Max Dane was the person who helped pick out this house 14 years ago. He was a close friend and probably knew all about me.

I moved to the other side of my bed and opened up the box that was on the table. In it was a single coin. It was a circle with a hole in the middle. I knew what it was, it had been money for the earth kingdom. I, however, didn't know how much it was worth.

"Candle!" I heard someone calling me from down stairs. It was Mara.

"Coming!" I yelled back, and ran down the steps. They had been cleaned and didn't look like they had fourteen years on them.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, which had the last stair turn so it wouldn't face the wall.

I turned to see an old face in the living room. She had been my friend since forever. She had been there longer than Gabe and longer than any other people in my living room.

It was Maxine. She was an African American girl, who always had her hair up in a bun. She was part of the track team and had always complained how I walked so slow, but then turned on me when I was going fast and she would walk as slow as a slug. I was overjoyed the first day I came into middle school to find that she had decided to join band. I had told her that I had joined the orchestra and was now playing Violin.

She was wearing a navy blue sweat shirt that said W.O.Y.O, at least from what I could see since she had her arms up coming over to hug me. She had been wearing that sweat shirt since 7th grade.

"Maxine," I squealed and ran into her hug. She, like all of us had grown. Her hair had gotten longer and she had grown. She was now 5 inches taller than me.

"You haven't grown," she laughed.

"Shut up," I growled at her, which only caused her to laugh more," well you have seemed to change."

She smiled at me. She had grown broder too, and she had some muscle on her arms," yeah well I grew. Well Candle, nice to know that you and Gabe are still alive and well. Gabe has seemed to stick to his promise."

"What?" Gabe and I both asked at the same time.

"Oh you remember in 7th grade when I told you that if you hurt Candle I could shoved a dagger down your throat," she laughed, and Gabe reached up to his neck. His face had gone pale.

"Oh...," I trailed off," well do you want something to drink?" I asked her, but her face suddenly became really serious.

"No, I came here to tell you something and get answers for it," she sat down on the couch. The same on I had pass out on the day I found a note from mom.

"What?" Mara asked, Maxine looked up and directly into my soul.

"Where have you been!" she yelled. She looked hurt too.

"Um... well... uh. You see we have been traveling and ya know seeing the world," I laughed a little, she didn't phase.

"No, you're lying Candle. You always were bad at doing that," she sighed," Candle, while you were gone a lot happened. I am sure you have heard about what happened in Georgia while you were gone. When they passed that new law. Lots of people left for Atlanta and other places. Some of the band left and most of the orchestra. So Mr. Stallings and Mr. Rice combine them. Most of the teachers left too. When I moved over to the high school it was the same situation. So I say again WHERE WERE YOU!"

She was crying now. It was one of the few times that she ever did. She was one of those people who could hold in almost everything until it hurt to much and she let it all free. I wasn't one of those people. If something hurt me enough to make me cry then I would bloody cry all day.

I ran over to her and hugged her. Mara took up the part of the chair that we were sharing. She sobbed on my shoulder.

"You know where we were don't you?" I asked. She nodded," then why do you want me to tell you?"

"Because I don't understand," she said.

"We were training. We have to save to world Maxine. You can call us benders," I told her softly.

"I know what they are... I studied them ever since...," she paused.

"Since when," I started to shake. The weirdest thing crossed my mind. As if I thought she was one of us. Like a bender.

"I am a bender... a... metal bender," she whispered. I gasped. That feeling was true.

Then I felt a burning pain on my hand. I screamed but the pain only lasted for two seconds more. I felt light headed and I looked down at my left hand. Instead of three being on that side there was now four. There was one right next to the earth sign. It looked like the earth sign, but when the sides sloped up they stopped and went straight up. There was a line above the swirl in the middle. And when it sloped down it stopped and went straight down. The lines on the inside now face toward the spiral.

"Why is it that every time i get hurt I feel light headed," I mumbled. All around me people were asking me questions until I felt myself being lifted up. I knew that it was my mother, I felt her soft coat. I was laid down on my bed.

The next time I heard voices they were yelling.

''''''''''''''

"Stop! Stop! You can't be telling the truth!" I heard Maxine's voice.

"I am," it was Alex's next. He sounded desperate.

"What is going on," I sat up. My clothes had changes. Instead of my coat from the South Pole it was now a t-shirt and some jeans. My hair had been braided into two braids.

"How can he be your cousin. You have no family," Maxine looked outraged.

"Um... you need to calm down. Alex is my cousin. And I do have family. Maxine, family can go beyond blood," I told her. She gazed soften and she relaxed.

"Okay, but how are you related to him?" she asked.

"Long story. You remember the Friday before we left?" I asked.

"Yeah,"

"Well we had found out we were what we are and found out that he was an Airbender and that he was related to me in some sorta way. We really just call him my cousin," I explained.

"Whoa, so what bender are you, Candle. So if Alex in an Airbender, you must be too since you said you are related. Or I guess you could be water, or Fire. I don't think earth though. You're to skinny," she said. At first I was surprise that she said that. But then I thought about Zach and how he was really brood. And how Maxine had grown brood.

"I am an Airbender," I told her.

"Really! I expected Water," Maxine laughed a little.

"Well I am a waterbender," I told her.

"What," she gave me that 'are you crazy' look.

"And an earth and a fire," I laughed as her jaw fell off her face. I climbed out of bed and patted her back as I left to get something to eat.

We have to go back to the school. We have to make sure it is okay. I was thinking to myself when I felt something hit me in the back of my head while I was making a sandwich. I turned to fine Maxine with a ball of metal in her hand. She was smirking, but her eyes were angry.

"How dare you leave me hanging!" she yelled and then started to pelt me with metal balls.

''''''''''''

I woke up to the sound of groaning and the smell of something burning. I jumped out of my bed and ran for the kitchen. After, of course, tripping down every stair possible. Maxine had stayed for the night. And the others were offered the basement. No one was really in the mood for a long night. Each one of us basically crashed after they did their own hunt and gather.

"Gabe! What the hell are you doing!" I yelled at him. He turned with fear on his face.

"Um, making food," he said. That was probably the dumbest thing I had ever heard. Gabe sucked at cooking and we both knew it. And here he stood in front of the oven trying to make instant grits while blowing up the house.

"You know you shouldn't have done that," I was aggravated," what was the one thing I told you to leave to me?"

"The cooking," he looked at the floor.

"And what did you do?"

"Cook," he faked a whimper.

I laughed and walked over to him. He looked at me with envy. I knew he was trying to make me breakfast, and probably everyone else, but he just didn't know the difference between baking and cooking. I took the spoon from his hand and then the box from his other. I smirked at him. He smiled back.

I gave him a quick kiss and then shoved him out and told him to go wash the apron on him. He groaned and walked out. Now I face the mess that he had created. First of all I turned off the burner and put the pot in the sink. While that cooled down I started to cleaned the exploded grits of the counters. I put the box of instant grits away. Instant was not as good as real.

I put water in the pot I had dragged off the burner and let that soak. It would make the grits easier to get off later. Then I took the measuring cups that he had managed to sue and washed them. Then moved on to washing the pot. Once that was done I filled it up with 4 cups of water. The sauce pan could ft about 6 so I was good. Then while that boiled I took some smoked sausage out of the fridge. I got a skillet and let the sausage cook in there until the fat came out.

The water was now simmering which meant that I had about 5 more minutes until I had to put the grits in. Some I chopped up some green peppers and an onion, which made me cry, and took out the sausage. They had gotten lots of fat off and that would help with the gravy. Then I put the grits in the boiling water. I stirred 5 times and then turned the burner onto low. I threw in the green peppers and onion, then quickly chopped up three cloves of garlic, threw that in. I stirred till it smelled good. Add some tomato paste and some flour. Waited for that to cook away and then poured some chicken broth in. I stirred until it looked good.

By the time I had turned around I saw a whole table full of people talking and the bar filled. My

jaw fell open.

"When did you get here?" I asked.

"We have been here for a half and hour. Ever since it started to smell good," Sapphire said.

"Oh... I didn't notice," I said.

"No kidding. You should have seen your face. You looked like you were making the recipe up on the way and was measuring everything in your head. You know for someone who can't do math to save her life you sure can cook," Zach told me. I glared at him for saying the thing about math.

"Well breakfast is ready and then to school," I smiled. I heard several forks drop.

"School?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah, we need to go back. We have to see what is going on," I told him. They nodded. My mom and the other parents were sitting at the table in the other room all feasting on the grits, gravy, and sausage.

"I see, well you might not like how many people have left," Maxine warned while putting some of the thick gravy on her grits. Everyone had sausage except Alex and his mom. Who still didn't eat meat.

We finished fast and got into new clothes fast. I don't where the others got clothes, but I had to lend out some clothes to Maxine. I walked to school with the rest of my friends. Maxine had told us that there was now a bike trial everyone took now. We were happy to walk.

We walked around the corner and I saw the huge building that was once my High school. It looked run down from the outside. But when we walked inside it was live with action. I saw several people I knew, but lots that I didn't. There was one more thing that was surprising. I saw a small boy I had known since 6th grade. His name was Billy.


	34. Chapter 34

Candle's POV.

The hallway was crazy with people all walking around. The boy I saw, Billy, had been there since the beginning of Middle school. He had played french horn and had been one of the nicest people to me. Though by the time 8th grade hit I was left alone with only Maxine and Gabe. Billy had been moved to a different school. He had said good bye that day and I didn't here from him again.

"Whoa," Sapphire said. The others started to say things, but I didn't hear them. Billy had now noticed that I was looking at him and dropped the box that he was holding.

"Billy," I whispered.

"Candle!" he yelled and came running over. He embraced me in a hug. I was shocked and couldn't move. My arms just basically hung there.

"Who are you?" Gabe asked. Billy let go of the hug.

"Billy, at your service," Billy bowed and then turned back to me.

"Candle I thought you were dead. They had put out wanted posters for you. Some of them said that you were wanted by the British Government and some said that we were missing. The whole grade thought you were dead. Some of the people who knew you in 6th and 7th grade spent hours looking for you," Billy explained.

"Oh...," I trailed off. Billy was looking at me like he had seen a ghost. I remembered that I was wearing short sleeves and tried to pull them down. I didn't want anyone to see the tattoos.

"Billy, can you take us to Mrs. Poll?" Maxine asked. Billy nodded and motioned for us to follow.

We worked our way through the school. It was almost as desperate as the outside. I saw that no one was learning. They were either farming, repairing, or cooking. I saw that plants were growing all over the place. Some of the walls weren't there anymore. The section of the school that had all the class rooms was now a place where people actually lived. There were people who had knocked down some walls and turned two classrooms into one giant living room.

But no one here looked unhappy. They seemed to be enjoying all this. Like they liked the idea of going back in time and farming. Half of thought that another civil war was going on. But people here were actually just mingling around and talking. No guns or weapons. I saw a few adults. They must have been teachers.

"Here," Billy said. He walked into a room that still had a door and walls. On the door was a sign that said 'Poll'. Billy came out a few minutes later with a woman.

She looked to be about 52, he hair was just graying. She had dark black hair and olive pale skin, her green eyes looked as if she could kill. She was not like the people who were just down the hallway.

"Thanks Billy. Go run off and finish what I sent you to do," Mrs. Poll said. Billy nodded and smiled at me. He ran off once again. As he did I noticed what he looked like. I had just come back in reality.

He was wearing a shirt that was ripped and one size to big. The shirt was green and had oil all over it. He had on cargo pants. There was a tool belt around his waist, filled with things I didn't know the names of. He his brown hair was long, and covered his ears. I knew hsi eyes were still green.

"So, you have come back, Candle," the woman said. I nodded at her. She smiled and walked back into her room. We followed.

The first thing that hit me was the smell of old paper. It relaxed me, but I still didn't like it. Why would someone who looked like she wanted to kill someone have an office that had no books in it smell like paper? Her desk was to the left of the door. All the way at the other side of the class room. There were a few pictures up, but there was nothing else. Her desk was dark brown and looked to be made of real wood.

"We have heard about where you have been Candle and friends," she said. He voice was emotionless.

"Yeah, I would have figured that. People around here seem to know more about me that I know about myself," I told her.

"They would. We have had many visits from higher ups who have been informing us about you. So you escaped death a lot, that doesn't impress me," she said. If it was possible for a voice to go even more emotionless she did it.

"Yeah, we all have way to many times. Anyway Mrs. Poll. How had the school been since we burned it down," I tried to make her change the subject.

"Good, we have been rebuilding the middle school. Now, about you being gone for so long. You have missed quiet a lot, all of you," she looked pass me to my friends.

"Oh... yeah," I said quietly.

"You will be starting school as soon as this place is able to teach," she said. Her voice had some emotion this time. But it was something that made me feel butterflies in the stomach.

"Yes ma'ma," I told her. She seemed content with that answer.

"Good. Maxine. Why don't you show our guest around her?" Mrs. Poll said. She more like commanded Maxine to do that. Maxine swallowed and nodded. This woman must be running the place. She seemed to scare everyone.

"Follow me," Maxine said.

We walked out of the classroom. She told us that we were on the top floor. The good place. As she took us around the top floor housing she talked about what happened to most people. How that when this whole was turned into farm land people were forced out of there homes. Many people died, even more just moved away. People who had stayed and didn't have a house lived at local schools and churches.

Mrs. Poll had taken charge. Anything that the people had brought with them was to be given over to her. She took people's things away and choose the best things for her. At first everyone was ok. We made by, we all had food and no one wanted to fight. That was until Mrs. Poll became the evil witch she is today. She started to withhold food and other things. Like clothes and proper medicine.

Many people started to fight her and then started to die. People got sick, like real sick. They were sent down stairs. People who got into trouble went down there. She told us how she had been down there. How she had too been fighting and had gotten into lots of trouble. Mrs. Poll had offered people positions to do her work. Maxine volunteered for information. The group she is in has been fighting her since day one

"They're over here," Maxine said quietly. She had taken us down to the bottom floor. There were anyone who was watching anybody. It was survival of the fit down here. Many people had been locked up in classrooms. Some walls had been knocked down and had iron bats on instead. Making it look like a prison. As we passed people they would groan and reach out.

Maxine had been right about sick. Some people ranged to the cold-cancer. I just wanted Maxine to hurry up. We finally reached a class room. It was the only one with light. Maxine knocked on the door. The door opened, standing there was a boy. Billy.

"Come on," he said. He wasn't like how I had met him on the top floor. He was now hard and had a bow and arrow on his back.

"They're here!" someone said. I looked around and saw lots of my friends. They too were like Billy. War hardened.

"Welcome to hell," a girl got up. She had brown hair that covered her glasses.

"Averi," I said. She nodded.

"My OTP still together?" she asked. I looked at Gabe, he smiled. I felt his hand grip my hand.

"Yeah," I told her.

"Great, nice to have you back Candle, Gabe. And I see that we have to some new friends," Averi said.

"Yeah, this is Mara, Zach, Sapphire, and Alex," I said. Pointing to each one.

"Where have you been?" a kid asked. He stepped out from behind Averi. His name was Ethan. He had been a friend of mine.

"All over the place," I told him. He nodded.

"We have to-," Maxine's voice was cut off.

"Maxine, Poll is looking for you and the new ones," A voice erupted from above.

"Tell them I will be right up," Maxine said back. There was a click and the voice was gone.

"Come on," Maxine said. We went up stairs to find Mrs. Poll standing by a window. Maxine quickly talked to her. Then Mrs. Poll walked off.

"I need to go. Go explore right now, but don't get into trouble," Maxine told all of us.

We nodded. And we turned and went different ways. I walked alone down one of the living halls. There were a lot of people who I didn't know, there were a few faces I did though. I soon felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see again a face I knew.

This girl was an African American like Maxine, but had all the sass in the world.

"Never thought I would see your face again," she said.

"Hey Denise," I said.

"Heard, you have been all over the world. Some people say that you're saving it. They say that you have a sword and can bend. What ever that means. You know what I think, that's all wrong. How could someone like you be someone so important," she smirked.

"Nice to see you too," I sighed.

"So?" she said.

"So what?" I asked.

"So where is your sword?" she asked.

Before I could answer an explosion happened. I felt he building shake. Immediately I was alert. There was some of the building that I could see from outside that had started to fall apart. The way of building falling apart was coming for us. More explosions happened.

"Get down," I said. I pushed the three girl to the corner of a wall. They were wide eyed. Them the explosion happened. I felt the ground below me start to shake. Then I saw fire and people screaming. I jumped in front of Denise and her friends to protect them.

Then it all stopped. I heard screams though. And I heard shooting. That's when I knew what was happening. They had come, once again.

"Candle!" Denise said.

"Shhh! Listen!" I turned to her, and pulled out my sword which I had done my best to hide

under my jacket," we need to stay here. Basically the really bad people have found me. You are probably in the safest place in the school and that is right next to me. Then again you are also in the worst place in the school. Which is also right next to me."

I heard them mumbling. Some words that I could hear were sword, danger, army, and attacks.

"Here," I threw my shoes at a girl next to Denise.

"What was that for?" the girl asked.

"I can feel better without my shoes. They just make everything fuzzy," I told them. The gave me the are-you-crazy look.

I felt around. There were indeed lots of movement, but no one was in distress. That meant that they were only here for me and my friends.

I felt them getting closer," does anyone have any water?"

"Here," Denise threw me a simple bottle of water. I caught it without turning around. I held the bottle with the same hand as the sword and used my left hand to open it. Then I flung it at the ground and jerked me hand up. The water started to form small clear water bubbles. I moved them all over the room.

"Don't move. There is really sharp rocks mixed into that water. If you touch one it will explode and then all the others will go off," I told them. They were frozen in place. I waited. The people who had broken in were just a few feet away from the door. They could see me as I could see them. I got down low. My sword sparkled and I growled slightly.

The men broke into the room and like I said the water bubbles exploded. Tiny sharp rocks flew at them, as well as getting them wet. Which disabled their lighting guns.

"Nice to see you guys again. Last time I say you you were killing me and my friends. Ah yes good times. And remember when I blew up your base int he south pole. Oh yeah and I also stopped that missile that you sent at me. And then also save I think the second school you attacked from burning down," I told them. Their faces scrunched up in anger.

"Yeah we remember you," the lead man said in discus.

"Ah, do you not like me... that's so sad. I thought I had finally gotten on you guy's good side. Oh well, I guess I am just going to have to fight you," I laughed.

The men exploded into action. Taking out swords and fighting me. I slashed blocked. Fear ran through me as I did this. And I knew that it was going to make me slower. So I pushed it away and thought clearly. 2 of the 5 men who had come in here, lie on the floor. They had blood leaking out of them.

The other men were fighting hard. They had scored some cuts on me that had caused me to bleed. My forehead had gotten one of those slashes. So blood was getting on my glasses and in my eyes. That slowed me down, but not enough to loose. In minutes I had the other three down.

"That ladies is how you win a fight," I tuned back to the girls smiling. They had a shocked expression on their faces. I swiped my sword and the blood on it flew off and hit the all next to me.

"This would also be the sword you were asking for. I am surprised you missed it. I barely had it concealed beneath my jacket," I told them squatting right in front of them.

"You just won a fight with 5 grown men. And you're only 14," Denise said.

"15 in April," I told her," Come on time to head back. My feet tell me that all the fighting is over.


	35. Chapter 35

Candle's POV.

The school had survived most of the explosions. According to Billy the explosions only happened at the main entrance. The explosions on the outside had just been lots of tiny rocks slamming into the walls. All the glass windows made it out with only a few chips.

We had left after we made sure that everyone was okay. Mrs. Poll was no where to be found. Which I was glad. Maxine and her crew started to clean up and get everyone settled down. Since Mrs. Poll looked like she would not be showing up Maxine left Averi in charge.

Averi, now that I could see her beyond her hair. She had light brown eyes that had speaks of gold in them. She was pale and had the nimble hands of an artist. She was wearing some of the best clothes here. Probably because she usually was sitting and drawing. She had showed me some of her drawing. I soon found out that she sucked at animals and nature, but was great at drawing people.

"Candle, time to go," Sapphire came running up to me while I was with Ethan. He was telling me about the low supplies. I promised him that I would help as soon as possible. Then he immediately turned around and told me not make a promise like that when I could die in the end.

"Coming," I said, I bid farewell to Ethan and ran over to my friends. Maxine had told Alex that she was going to stay back and help settle things down before we left.

"We need to go back to your house, and Candle today we are leaving," Alex told me.

"Okay," I said and we ran home.

Zach burst through the door breathing hard," I win," he said breathlessly.

"You got lucky," Sapphire cursed at him. Her eyes were alive with fire.

"Ok, ok. Let's just sit down. I'll get some lemonade," I told them. Everyone seemed content with with so they went to the dining room and sat down. The other parents had either gone out to see if they can get their old job back and others had gone around town to see if their house

was still there. At least according to the letter mom left.

I walked in the kitchen and opened the fridge. And just as I had been looking there was a jar of lemonade. I quickly got down 6 cups and put some ice in each one. I poured the lemonade.

"Here," I handed each one their glass. They were already talking about what should be our next move.

"I need to learn firebending, and so does Sapphire," I said as I sat down.

"Yeah, but where are we going to find a place to teach you firebending? We have only been going places because of what that note said from your mom," Zach said.

"True, we can always ask her when she gets home," almost on cue a face popped into a room. It was sapphire's mom.

"Ask who?" She said.

"Oh hey mom, we were wondering where Candle and I have to go for firebending," Sapphire explained quietly.

"Oh simple. Sapphire when I had moved from Japan I had a friend who dreaded to see me go.

I had visited her many times, but you have only met her once. When you about 5 years old. She owned an inn last time I saw her. I was out in the middle of no where in Japan. In the mountains," sapphire's mom said. Sapphire's mouth dropped open.

"And I just happen to have the key things," Sapphire's mom said, and then she held up a slip of paper. Then she moved her hand and 6 appeared. They were plane tickets.

"No," I groaned.

"I have tickets for a one way passage to Japan. Once you're there you'll be on your own to find the woman. I don't know where she is in the mountains, but people say she has the inn that leads to the upside down world. Though the plane leaves tonight," Sapphire's mom said. I felt like this woman was a deal breaker or something.

"Ok mom, we'll be down in 10," Sapphire shoved her chair back and walked away. The rest of us slowly got up and went to get our stuff. I actually had things to pack, but I basically got a backpack and shoved some clothes in it. I shoved in some money that I could trade in for the Japanese currency.

I shrank my sword back to it small size and put it back on a new chain. It would appear as a simple pendent on the chain, Gabe would probably do the small. Except he might put it on his wrist or somewhere else.

I walked down the hall, my was unbelievably light, unlike when we had started this war. Mara was running up the stairs when I saw her.

"Candle put a hair brush in that bag now!" Mara ordered me. I groaned and turned around. I found a black hair brush, that was shaped like a rectangle. Like the handle was a regular handle, but the part that had the brush part was a rectangle.

"Good," Mara seemed satisfied and she walked out if my room. I followed, not wanting to look for fear that I would take more than I need.

''''''''''''''''''''''

We walked down the long hallway that lead to our gate. Lost of people were walking around looking for their gate. Some people were running for their plane. Sapphire's mom had dropped us off at security. It would be a long time since I saw her again. Half of me found that as a relief.

As she walked away she seemed to be smirking. And then I wondered if our parents knew where we were. I turned back to Sapphire's mom, but she was already gone. I cursed, she must have done this behind everyone's back. Mom was going to give it to her later.

Our gate was one of the last ones, since Atlanta didn't usually fly to Japan. This tickets must have been bought really early. But how come they didn't get discarded when we had everything taken from us. Did Sapphire's mom know this would happen.

"Hey Sapphire, how did your mom know to hang onto these tickets?" I asked.

"They say mom is a seer," she said and then walked over to Zach. What did she mean by seer?

The gate we sat in was half empty. There were lots of people already here, but most of them looked like they were trying to get back to their country or go see family. None of them knew that it was probably the most dangerous thing someone could do was be on the same plane as us.

The plane ride to Japan was bordering by the time we had stepped in the gate. We had 6 3rd class tickets. Which was fine with, not drawing attention while we border was good. We would also be near the back of the plane.

"Come on, we better get in line before we have to wait too long," Gabe said walking into the line. We were all sort of tired of planes, I was tired of falling and jumping out of them. I was also tired of just plane riding in them. Basically anything they flied I was tired of.

"May I have your ticket," I looked up and a woman in a suit was reaching out towards me. I nodded and handed her the ticket, she scanned it and smiled at me.

"Enjoy your flight Candle," she said and moved on.

We moved to the back of the plane. I could have my backpack under my seat, but what would be the point. I would probably forced myself to fall asleep so I didn't have to deal with the flight. The others seemed to be doing the same. We all were exhausted from earlier. And the Sapphire's mom is all like, you know what will be great on your stress is to sit on a plane for 2 days. Yeah that will be fun.

I groaned.

"You ok?" Gabe asked. He had just put his bag up. I was waiting for his to get in because I hated the window seat.

"No. I have been riding planes since I was one, but I still hate them. And plus Sapphire's mom was all like, you know what would be the best idea ever. We should ship y'all off to Japan on a 2 day flight. Ugh," I groaned and just clasped in the seat right after Gabe sat down.

"I feel ya. I am not really up for this either, but we need you to learn firebending so this," he pointed outside," doesn't get burned."

"But I don't want to waste 2 days on a plane," I said.

"Aw, come on. It won't be that bad. Knowing you you will be asleep for a day so the trip will be like a few hours for you," he said. I punched him in the arm.

"It's not my fault that I forced myself to not endure most of this pain," I grumbled under my breath. Gabe just laughed and gave me hug. I smiled back and laid my head on his shoulder.

And before I knew it I was asleep.

'''''''''''''''''

"Candle, um do you want something to drink?" Gabe was shaking me. I was reading a book that Mara had brought along. It was called A Quest of Heroes, I think. I had gotten hooked. She had given it to me the minute I woke up so I didn't have to focus on something to keep my attention away from the plane.

"Uh, yeah. Do you guys have Ginger Ale and cranberry juice," I asked the lady who was standing in front of me.

"Yeah, do you want them mixed?" she asked. I nodded. In a few minutes the food cart would come by so you could get a small meal. Though I didn't have the stomach to eat anything.

"Here," she handed me the drink. I was glad. I was starting to feel a little like when I am in the car and I am carsick. Ginger Ale helps.

"Thanks," I told her and then she moved on.

"So the book good?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah, has a pretty good plot. But according to the front of the book it has 13 books in the series. That is one hell of a series if you ask me," I joked. He laughed and then grabbed to book out of my hand.

"You need to stop reading or you might even feel worse," he said while reading the back of the book.

"I am glad you care about my health, but give back my book," I tried to grab it from him, he just held me back with his arm.

"You don't have to be so rude. People care about your health," he said giving me the book back.

"Well I think I can deal with this as long as I have my drink," I told him. He smiled and leaned his head against the window. The next time I looked at him he was asleep.

We arrived in Japan about 10 hours later. In that time I had taken a 2 hour nap, been woken up for last minute food and drink and finished the book Mara had given to me. Once we stepped off the plane we all ran for the bathroom and didn't do anything but walk around for the next half hour.


	36. Chapter 36

Candle's POV.

The city of Tokyo is huge. We have been walking around for hours. We have considered asking someone for directions to this woman's inn. But so far anyone we do ask doesn't speak English. And Sapphire doesn't know a drop of Japanese. Well things could be worse.

It has been overcast all day, and pretty humid. But the over cast has kept the temperature down. There have been a few parks that we have stopped at and tried to regain our wits. Most of the day we have been out. Now we have decided to go to the mountains and test our luck.

"Well, here we," I said and started the long trail that went around this mountain. I had no idea what this mountain was even called. All I knew was that it had lots of trees on it. Or at least at the base of it. Tokyo was far from where we were now. I could only see the lights in the distance. I couldn't help but be a little curious about this island. But I could explore it another day.

"Candle. We have found nothing in the time we have been out here," Zach complained. He was right, it had been 2 hours and we had come across nothing. What we have been doing was keeping the lights of Tokyo in our sight so if we had to run or go back we know where to go.

"Yeah, I know," I told him and kept walking. It was last dusk, I didn't know what day it was. I didn't know what time it was. Or how the time difference worked over here. I knew that we could well into the night because of the time difference.

I could hear thunder in the distance and I had seen a few lightning bolts. But no rain, that was good for right now. All I practically had was some clothes, which can get wet. Then I heard laughter.

"What was that?" I asked. I looked far into the woods to my right.

"What?" Mara said. Everyone had already bumped into me.

"There was laughter," I said.

"Candle, you're hungry. It's your stomach speaking," Gabe said coming up form the behind, and grabbing my arm," we need to go back before we starve."

It happened again, but it was now a lot quieter," there, did you hear it?"

"No, come on," Gabe said pulling on me. Sapphire and Zach were starting to walk back. I heard one last time, but this time it was a scream.

"No!" I yelled and yanked my arm out of Gabe grip. He yelled my name as I ran. I was dodging trees and branches. I was jumping over fallen trees. I stopped for a moment, I could hear my friends yelling my name, but I blocked them out. It started to rain, and the thunder was getting louder.

I heard the scream again. I bolted to my left. Someone was in trouble, and I was not going to stand here. I came upon a clearing from where I stood there was a cliff. It out looked a valley. There was a boy sitting on the edge of the cliff. He looked soaked, but didn't seem to mind.

"Hello," the boy said. He had turned around now. I stood there frozen, rain was starting to go through my clothes and my arms were soaked," hello?"

He came up to me. I still stood there, but I did something I didn't expect I would ever do in front of someone who I didn't know. I broke down and started to cry, I feel to the ground. I couldn't see anything, my glasses were somewhere to my left. I could feel that the boy was freaking out on the inside. His heart rate had increased and he had taken a few steps back.

In the background I could hear my name, it was coming closer.

"Candle," it was Mara. She dropped to the ground and started to shake me," Candle why are you crying?"

"I don't know," I told, but the words came of my mouth in chokes.

"Candle, what happened?" it was Gabe now," Candle, you're glowing again," he was calmer now. I think he had even forced himself to sound like he found it funny that I was glowing.

"Who are you?" the boy spoke up.

"I should be asking the same to you. Why did you make Candle cry," Zach was mad. He threw his foot to the ground and a huge rock flew up. Sapphire ran forward and had two balls of fire in her hand. She was closer to the boy.

"I don't know what you mean. She just ran up and I said hello. Then she clasped crying on the ground. I swear," his voice was weak and cracked when he said 'swear'.

The rock went back to the floor and Zach relaxed," he's telling the truth."

Sapphire relaxed too, the only light now was from my tattoos. I slowly stood up. I had stopped weeping and I just had a few tears falling down my face.

"I am Candle. This is Zach, that's Sapphire, that's Mara, this is Alex, and he's Gabe," I pointed to each one. They seemed to relax a little after I introduced them.

"I'm Akoi," the boy said," come i will take you back to my house. Mom can give you some food and we can all get warm."

We followed him. it took 5 minutes till we got back onto the trail and another 5 before we got to his house. It was huge, which made me think at first that he was a rich boy.

"Whoa, your house is huge," Alex said.

"Well it's an inn. So you sorta have to have it big," he said opening up the front door. I side glanced at Sapphire.

'Was this the inn we were looking for,' I asked her.

'i don't know,'

Akoi started to take off his shoes in this stoned area. The area had some shoes already placed there. Both were a pair of sandals. Sapphire followed Aoki's actions.

"Oh, sorry. Take off your shoes, it keeps the house clean," Akoi said and then walked off. It took a few seconds before we noticed what was going on. And so we took off our shoes. My shoes were soaked through and muddy. Same goes for my clothes. They were covered in dirt and mud.

Akoi came back with a towel for each of us. We slowly dried off and left our bags at the door. Akoi took us down the hall to our left.

"Mom said that she was putting out a dinner for you guys. Since you look like you haven't eaten since dawn. Mom said that she can dry your clothes while you take a bath and clean off all of that dirt," he explained. The hallway we walked down had many doors in it. Some were the paper and the wooden frame and some were hard wood doors. The ones that were hard wood had numbers on them. That lead me to believe that they were guest rooms.

"Good evening Akoi," a girl walked up from a side hallway. She had a long blue bang that went down to just above her chest. Though the left side of her hair only went down to the top of her ear. Her hair covered her eyes. The half that wasn't blue was brown and you could see that one of her eyes was Aquamarine. She was wearing a short kimono that was a light purple and it had flowers all over it. On her neck was a small choker that had a turtle pendant on it.

"Oh, hey Zoë," Akoi said.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"Oh, I found them out in the woods when Candle clasped," Akoi explained, I was glad that he left out the crying part.

"I am guessing that is why Miss Toma has put out so much food," Zoë looked over us. Discuss washed over her face, but only briefly," your clothes are dirty."

"Yeah, I sorta clasped in the mud," I put my hand behind my head.

"I will wash them tonight," she calmly said and then walked away.

"Sorry about that. Zoë has been working here for some time. She is very strong willed and you can't really make her sway from anything she wants to do. But I swear once you get her out of work she is a lot of fun," Akoi told us.

"Sweet," I smiled and we continued down the hall until Akoi suddenly stopped and opened a paper door. In there was a large table that sat close on the floor. it had this blanket thing coming out from the bottom. There was a woman who was putting the last plates out on the table.

I felt my mouth water when I smelled the food. I could see rice and fish, there was some noodle looking things too.

"Food...," Zach groaned when he saw it.

"You're drooling again," Sapphire whispered to him. He closed his mouth, but didn't seem to acknowledge Sapphire at all.

"Welcome, I see that you're the people Akoi dragged in from the woods," this woman was wearing a long kimono that was white and gold.

"Yeah, this is Candle, Zach, Alex, Mara, Gabe, and Sapphire," Akoi introduced us.

"Pleasure. Come sit around the table. I have had a heater set up. It will dry your clothes. I am Tina," she said and then sat down. Akoi came up and sat next to her. We followed quickly.

Tina took some bowls by the rice and started to fill them and pass them around the table. We ate at first with silence. Until Zach spoke up.

"What's this?" he asked as he picked up something that was skewed on a skewer.

"It's called Yakitori. It's chicken meat, liver, and vegetables on a bamboo stick. Trust me it's good," Akoi said.

"So tell me about yourselves," Tina said.

"Oh well we came from the US and we were looking for an old friend of Sapphire's mom. She said we could find her in the mountains so we were looking around. That's when Akoi found us," Mara explained.

"Oh really, who were you looking for," she looked over at Sapphire.

"Oh, well my mom had this friend who lived here in Japan. And she told us that she would help us once we found her, but we don't know names or where she lived besides she lived on a mountain and owned an inn. We were actually wondering if that could be you?" Sapphire asked.

"What was your mother's name?" Tina asked.

"Harper," Tina dropped her chopsticks and looked at Sapphire in surprise.

"What? You can't be telling the truth," Tina said quietly.

"What do yo mean? I am not telling a lie. I know who my mom is," Sapphire said.

"Then it is not you who lied to me," Tina said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Harper Yao was told to be dead,"


	37. Chapter 37

Candle's POV.

We woke up to the sound of someone banging on our door. Mara, Sapphire and me were sharing a room while the boys got one across the hallway. We had been staying here for a few days, mostly staying in our rooms talking about what we were going to do. Since the night that Tina figured out about Sapphire's mom she hasn't really talked to us. I think she was getting over the fact that her best friend was alive.

We had learned that Tina was a firebender and had adopted Akoi when he was young and taught him how to control his firebending. Akoi had also agreed to teach me and Sapphire firebending. Zoe had told us that she was a waterbender and we got to meet her turtle named Leo.

"Girls wake up. Today is school," Akoi was yelling through the door. Then after about a minute he stopped and I heard him walk away.

"Come on Candle we're all dressed except up," Mara was hitting me with a pillow.

"Five more minutes," I groaned. I didn't want to get out. I was so done with waking up early.

"No, get up," Mara ripped off my comforter. I felt the cold air hit me.

"Ah," I screamed and ended up sending Mara to the wall with a wave of air. She turned around and sent a wave of water at me. I sent a wave of rock dust at her. She screamed and then soaked me before I could even get my glasses on.

"Fine princess. I will get up," I told her getting out of my bed. I sent a small wave of air down through my body. instantly drying myself. Mara washed the dirt off her and then I dried her.

"Meet us in the main hall in five minutes," Sapphire said while walking out with Mara.

I dressed in a pair of jeans and an old T-shirt that had a snitch from harry potter on it. The snitch was fading, I had had the shirt for a few years now. I just hadn't grown. I put on my converse that were returned to me just yesterday after they had been cleaned and dried. Zoe had also washed all of our clothes the first night we had been here.

I walked out into the main hall to see Zoe and Akoi talking with all my friends.

"Ready to go to a school that is only for benders?" Akoi said I nodded. He smiled and walked out. He didn't have a bag and neither did Zoe. I was guessing that they didn't need one.

We walked even farther up the trail that was outside of their house. We had probably been walking for 20 minutes until I saw a huge courtyard. There were kids of all ages battling, talking, reading, and running. I could see that there was one big building that sat over to the side. It looked to be only one room, but that seemed to be big enough for everyone. There were about 15 kids out here, and when we walked in a lot of people looked our way.

I suddenly remembered that I was wearing short sleeves. Everyone could probably see my tattoos. Akoi turned around to us and gave us a thumbs up.

"You'll like it here. Everyone's in the same situation as you guys, just not as extreme," Zoe told us. She went over to group of girls who were waving at her.

"Come on, come on. Everyone gather around in a circle. We will be sparring for today," an older woman started to yell. Everyone started to cheer," we won't if you won't be quite though."

Everyone shut up after that.

"No, for first pairing we have Cami and Shan," The woman called out. A girl and a boy stepped up. This girl looked to be about 10 years old, and she was facing off with a dude who looked about 16.

"That's Mrs. Torri. She has been teaching kid benders for all her life. Ever since she had noticed that she wasn't the only one. She can be really sassy though. The girl out there is Cami, she has been here ever since she could walk. One of Mrs. Torri's first students. But don't be fooled by her young looking self. She actually about 17 years old. She's an earthbender, and could knock you out if you ever messed with her," Akoi was explaining to me, I was taking in everything," the boy is Shan, he's new. Been here about 2 years. But no one makes fun of him because he's black. In fact most of the people here fear him. He's a waterbender."

I didn't pay much attention to the next few battles, until this one pair was called up. Everyone started to gasp. There was a girl and a boy again. This girl looked about 15 years old. She had Blonde hair with a few reds streaks in it. Her eyes were a dull gray. The boy who stepped out was very brood and sorta reminded me of Zach.

"That there is Skya. No really knows what her skill is. She has never put full power into her attacks. But I can tell you she is one tough firebender. It's almost scary. She does dangerous things for fun, but she is very smart. The boy right there is Jake, he's an earthbender. And rumor has it that they like each other, but no one knows if they are in a relationship. Zoe tells me that she ships them, whatever that means," Akoi started to talk more about them, but I tuned it out.

I was interested in the part about how she had never shown her real power. Akoi had told me that in the end of the sparring you could challenge people. I intended to challenge her.

I watched her battle. She seemed to have a pattern, to use her fist most of the time. Then every once and a while when Jake would send a rock at her, she would use her foot and explode it. So it seemed that her legs were most powerful for defense and that her hands were most powerful for attack. Though they were both slow, maybe she had slowed down for Jake or they were just both slow.

The day stretched on. Akoi was called up a few times and I saw him fight through pretty long battles. Each one he had ended up winning. Zoe had been called up even more than Akoi. She had used the pond that was next to the fighting area.

"Volunteer time!" Mrs. Torri yelled out. Everyone shut up to see who would go up.

"I will fight," I yelled out. Everyone turned my way.

"You're a new girl aren't you. What do you bend?" Mrs. Torri asked.

"I bend air," I said. Whispers spread out.

"I see, well who do you challenge?" she asked.

"You didn't let me finish. I also bend water," more whispers spread out and Mrs. Torri's mouth slightly opened," and earth and fire."

By that time people were whispering harshly.

"Who do you challenge," Mrs. Torri's voice rang out.

"I challenge Miss Skya," I yelled out. All the whispering stopped dead.

"You wish to challenge me?" Skya called out," Ok, I am the easiest one here aren't I?" Sarcasm dripped out of her mouth.

"Come up and shake hands," Mrs. Torri said. We did. I shook her hand. It felt very powerful. Compared to mine, which probably still had cuts on it.

"So, tattoo girl. What's your name?" Skya asked.

"Candle," I said as we got down into fighting stance.

"I see, and you bend all the elements? Now that is something I would like to fight. Have you heard that I have never shown my true power? That's because no one has proven they are worth it. Prove to me that you can see my true power," she laughed a little under her breath.

"Begin!" Mrs. Torri yelled out. We sprang apart. The first thing I did was quickly make small water bubbles with one hand. And with the other i collected small rocks. I moved fast and it seemed to surprise Skya, but she stayed still while I spread out the water bubbles.

They were all over the place. The next thing I did while i held the water bubbles there was making a shield out of air. I wasn't going to get more than one person hurt during this battle.

Skya started to twitch. And soon I saw that her curiosity hi her. She reached out and blasted on of the water bubbles. I smiled as I watched each on explode quickly, one after the other. People outside the barrier gasped and pointed. They had never seen something like that. Skya was taken by surprise and was hit by billions of small rocks. They all cut her like paper cuts.

"I see what you did there. You got my curiosity to make me move. Nice move," Skya said. She started her attack. She moved forward quickly while shooting fire balls at me. I jumped out of the way using airbending to send something at her everything she attack. She wood either try to break the waves with her foot and fire or dodge out of the way.

Both she was quite bad at. i landed after the last attack. I moved a small pedestal up from the ground and sat on it. I smiled while she breathed hard. So far this had been a great battle. The first where I hadn't ended up blowing an airport, a house, a school, or a prison up

"That's it," she whispered.

"So it's time for you to show me what you can do. Come on I want a normal battle where i end up blowing something up. Mainly a building," I told her. She found that funny and started to laugh. She ran at me with fire following her every step.

"You laugh. I am not kidding," I said while jumping around the fire balls she shot at me," you can ask my friends. We have blown up plenty of things. Let's see, about 3 or 4 schools...," she was now sending waves of fire with her feet, I still jumped them," Well we blew up quite a few airports. Um, broke out of that prison. Also blowing up. Now that i look at it. Our prime source of getting out of things is blowing it up."

Now Skya was laughing. It made her attacks weaker, but they were still strong. I could feel the fire burning right below me. She was powerful. She started to send huge waves of fire. Some that were taller than me. I was starting to breath hard. She now had whips that were making me jumped while going through waves of fire.

"How's that Tattoo Girl. I haven't be able to do that in a while," she was smiling and laughing. I was breathing hard, pretty hard.

"Dude, you laugh a lot. More than I do, and that's saying something," I told her. She only laughed harder," well we should probably get this over with."

She started to send more waves of fire at me. This time she controlled several whips of fire in each hand. It wasn't able to touch the ground for more that a few seconds before I had to jump again. I was getting tired of this, and before I knew it I was getting hit with a few. They left burn marks on me. That was probably pay back for the millions of mini rock cuts i gave her.

I felt power course through my body. I knew that I had accidentally enter the avatar state. Not like my tattoos were glowing and I really had no control over my body. Like my eyes glowed for a minute and then I became super powerful.

I stopped jumping. The second I hit the ground i spun myself and made waves upon waves of air. They all seemed to radiate from my body. I was forcing the fire, and everyone who had been watching me. The fire was soon gone and then I stopped. Skya was on the ground shielding herself from anything.

As I walked on the ground each step brought up rock from the ground. It soon made a cage for Skya. One which she lay in. I walked up to it, she look terrified. I walked up and put my hand within the cage. She winced and brought up her hand.

The power left my body and I felt my self relax. I could feel her pulse and her breathing. I could feel what skya was feeling and she was scared of me. Half of me felt bad about that.

"Hey, I thought you like to laugh," I said, my hand was extended to help her. The cage that was around her started to crumble. I felt all of the power leave my body. She took my hand stood up. I stood next to her. The crowd started to cheer.

"Thanks," she said.

"I should be thanking you," I told her.

"Why-," she was cut off by me falling on her. All of my control had gone. All the strength I had had was gone.

"I need to get better at this. I can't deaf him, if I can't even hold up my own weight when I am sparring," I whispered to her. My face was leaning against her shoulder.


	38. Chapter 38

Candle's POV.

months had gone by and we had spent every moment learning, going to school, and exploring. I had now been across the whole island several times. Tina had agreed to let Akoi mentor me and Sapphire in the firebending. All of us grew to become great friends. Skya had gladly accepted every time I chose to spar with her. But this time there was someone new.

Akoi had told me that this girl only came every once and a while. She was tough, and was a firebender or as the rumors go. She had never shown up on a day that we sparred. People think she is to hide.

"I think she showed up because you're here," Zoë told me, I looked at the girl. She had these piercing green eyes. I felt like her stare was looking right through me. She knew who I was, so far for the months I had been here no one knew exactly what I was.

She had jet black hair and pale skin. She looked like she didn't get much sun.

"Any volunteers?" Mrs. Torri asked.

"I will fight," the pale girl said. Just like the day I showed up everyone shut up," I will fight the girl with the airbender tattoos."

She got up from the rock that she was sitting on. It had been right next to Mrs. Torri. Everyone was looking at me, and for once I was nervous of what this battle might have in for me.

I walked out to the middle of the field. It had finally returned to it's grassy self after that fight I had with Skya. The girl was already in the middle. She had walked quickly up to it. I could feel butterflies swarming in my stomach.

"Hello, I haven't seen you before. You must be new," The girl said.

"Yeah I am," I told her. Fear was creeping up my throat.

"I hear that you are one of the hot shots around here. That you can bend all the elements. I am surprised that no one knows who you are. Even after all the teaching that Mrs. Torri has been giving people. She might not even know who you are," The girl said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Elizabeth," she whispered.

"Can I call you Lizzy," I smiled.

"No," Elizabeth said coldly.

"Aw, well my name is Candle," I told her.

"Odd," she said," I have never heard of an Avatar being called Candle."

I was a taken back and it made me loose my fighting stance. That's when she struck. I saw a waved of hot blue stuff heading towards me. She had flipped her self back and had her foot heading down for my shoulder.

I moved out of the way at the last minute.

"You're faster than anyone here. Skya couldn't even follow. That means you truly have had training. You are here for your last element. Fire," she said. I nodded and then did something I had only done to Skya.

I made the water bubbles again. But as I did this I bent the air around me. I knew that she must have watched me the first day I came. How else would she know about my fight with Skya. As the water moved at incredible speed air followed after. And soon once again the whole field was covered in water bubbles.

"I know what you're doing. I will not fall for something that someone else did," she said. She sent a ball of fire at the one closest to me and then surrounded herself in a cloak of fire. I smiled, I knew she wasn't going to fall for something that Skya did.

Each water bubble blew up. Each reaction went strait for her. She made the cloak more powerful the closer they got. She knew that she had too because each reaction wasn't filled with rock that she through she could melt. No, each bubble was filled with very high concentrated air.

The air rushed for her and started to blow out her blue fire shield. I could see that under it she was trying very hard to keep it up while she blocked her face. She looked up and could see me running at her at full speed. I jumped up and thrust my arms to my right. All the air that had put out her blue fire now made her fly across the field. I she landed sliding across the dirt.

"You-," I cut her off.

"Hey. Please there are small children here," I said. That just made her madder. She bent down close to the ground, sorta like she was about to do a water bender move. I took a few steps back before I realized that she could only bend fire. But then what was she doing. She moved her arms in a flow motion and then lighting started to crawl across her body.

"Candle! Move!" Sapphire yelled at me. All I could do was stand there, frozen. Then I saw the lighting get thicker and soon it was traveling up her arm. Time slowed down and I saw that blue lighting erupted from her two fingers that were pointed at my chest. I moved me arms up in defense. Not even knowing if I was bending anything.

The lighting hit, but it wasn't me. It hit something that sent the current to me. It didn't hurt as much, but I still screamed. I could feel it hitting my arms. When the dust cleared I could see a wave of water in front of me. It had electricity all round it. Some bolts would come out and hit every 10 seconds. It would make we let out a whimper every time.

I looked to my right and there standing was Mara. Her eyes were mad and were glaring at Elizabeth who was breathing hard.

"Stop!" Mrs. Torri yelled.

"Candle are you ok," Mara came running up to me. She grabbed hold of my arms that had harsh burn marks on them. I felt something cold hit them. I was crying, the pain had finally registered with my mind.

Elizabeth came running up.

"Candle, Candle. I'm so sorry," she tried to tell me.

"No! You hurt her, beyond what sparring is supposed to do! Get out," Mara yelled.

"M-mara. Calm down. Elizabeth didn't mean to, I was the one who got her to do that," I tried to reason with Mara.

"Candle, you can't forgive someone who had just left scars on you!" she said. Elizabeth turned and ran.

"Wait," I tried to reach out but only screamed and brought my hand back when I felt the raw skin start to bleed. Mara pulled some water form the pond and started to heal my wounds. I could feel the pain slowly calming down, but I could still feel some.

"You're going to be fine, but I am going to have to redo this process every five minutes," Mara looked at me. I nodded slowly. Mrs. Torri told everyone that school would be cut short today and to go home. People slowly left, only Skya, Zoe, Akoi, and my friends stayed. Gabe came over with some bandages and slowly started to wrap them. He would apologize every time I winced.

It was 2:00 by the time I had every burn and cut tended to. Mara still looked fuming mad. I tried to calm her down through my mind, but she had blocked it. We decided that we should go back to the inn and said good bye to Skya who said that her home was a ways off and wanted to be back there before sun set.

Gabe gave me a piggy back ride back to the house. He ran at full speed and I laughed the entire way. The others showed up to the house about 10 minutes after us, and since the trail was down hill the whole time.

Tina set out a dinner and freaked out when she was that my arms were covered in bandages. She made us tell every detail about what happened today and then scowled Akoi and Zoe for not making sure that I had better medical care. Mara didn't talk the whole time, but she just sat there and didn't make eye contact with anyone.

"Hey Candle, what are you going to do about Elizabeth?" Alex asked me while I sat outside on the roof. I had climbed up after dinner and Alex had come up a minute later.

"I think I am going to go find Elizabeth. We need to talk," I told him.

"What! You can't be serious," he jumped and almost feel off the roof until I caught his shirt,

"Yeah I am. I need to make sure that she knows that I am cool that she did this to me. It was an honest mistake. I mean I am the person who cause this," I said holding up my left hand. I could see that the marks on my hand glowed brightly. Except for the metal mark. Maxine had to be asleep.

"How far away is America from here?" I asked.

"To the east or to the west?"

"To the west,"

"About 6756 miles away," he said.

"Are you lying?"

"No, I looked it up," he laughed a little.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I was bored one day," he said," when will you leave?" he asked.

"In a few hours. When Mara had gone to sleep," I told him.

"OK, I saw here go into your room about an hour ago. I just you just have to rely on your hand," he said. I nodded and then laid down on the roof. I starred at the stars. We were far enough from Tokyo that I could see plenty of stars. At first I would only see boxes that I would make up in my mind, but then I could see more complex things. Like dragonflies and bears.

I was really bad at knowing what constellations looked like. I didn't even know Orion's Belt, I knew what the north star looked like. I knew where Venus was in the sky. I knew where Jupiter was when it did come out. I knew where the moon was, but everyone knew that.

Soon there was lots of stars out. And I laughed as Alex tried to teach what some of the constellations were. But I would never find them, they would always look like something else. I soon came up with the family of dragonflies and families of boxes.

I looked at my hand and saw that water wasn't shinning anymore. I smiled and stood up, Alex stood up too.

"Be careful and try not to get more burns," he laughed. I smiled and then jumped off the roof to the ground. I landed with a soft thud and then sprinted off into the woods. It was probably close to 12 in the night. I knew that I would regret this in the morning when I woke up tired as hell.

I was running through the woods and hadn't heard anything. I had heard the wounds of birds and bugs, but nothing to show that people had been here. I tried to feel around for movement and found nothing.

I had been running for about an hour until I felt something. I stopped, I knew those vibrations. It was Elizabeth, she was around here. I felt the vibration again, but it was very weak and slow. She was around here.

"Elizabeth?" I called out. I felt one more vibration, but it was quick and rough," I know you're around here I can feel it. Your vibrations are very specific."

I felt yet again another vibration, but it wasn't a motion vibration. It was one to tell you that something's heart rate went up.

"You know it is me. You're watching me. I just came to tell you that whatever Mara said you can disregard it. I do forgive you for burning me. See," I held up my arms," I am all bandaged and Mara had been giving me healing seasons for a while."

The heart rate calmed slightly.

"You're starting to relax. I can feel that too. Please come out," I called. I wait for about a minute and then I felt a thud and I heard a stick crack. I turned around.

There she was. She was standing in the shadow, and I could only see half of her body. I could see her green eyes though. They seemed to glow in the darkness.

"What do you want," Elizabeth said bitterly.

"I want to talk. Like I said I totally forgive you," I told her. She laughed a little.

"You're American accent shines through. It's almost annoying," she said. I laughed at that and she laughed too.

"Well, can't really help that. Being an American and all," I told her. She laughed harder.

"You guys are so weird. I can see what they mean by Americans can be such idiots sometimes. You came to the person who probably gave you countless burns and scars on you and you just say that its fine. How could someone be so stupid," she said. She had stopped laughing.

"I find that highly offensive. Not all Americans are stupid. What about Mara?" I asked.

"She has a British accent. She is from Britain," Elizabeth said coldly.

"Really? I had grown so used to it that I hadn't even noticed that it was still there. Besides I think it's leaving her. I mean she talks more like an American and she's not as proper anymore," I said.

"Is that all you came for?" Elizabeth asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Did you come here to tell me that you are fine and forgive me and then joke about your country. You should have more pride," she said.

"Pride is something I don't hold so high. I could joke about myself all day," I smiled. She looked at me coldly.

"You seem to not hold any pride at all," she said.

"I do, I held my pride when I was being tested on. When I was being starved, with I got banished from the Amazon Jungle," I told her. She seemed to find the last one weird.

"You were in the jungle?" she asked.

"Yeah... I learned how to water bend there," I told her.

"Seriously! And then what happened when you got tested on?" she asked.

"Oh, well you see the government is after me, because they are working for him. And then they caught us, been then we blew up their prison and sorta killed everyone in there. Then almost killed our selves since it was in the Antarctic. Then we were found and then the he found us again and attack the village that we were staying with. And yeah. I could tell you the full story, but you probably wouldn't believe me," I said to fade off.

"You are the Avatar correct?" She asked. I hesitated for a moment.

"Yes I am," I told her.

"Can you prove it?" she asked.

"Did that fight not prove it?"

"No,"

I stood for a moment. What could I do to prove that I was the avatar. I could try to enter the Avatar state, but I have never just done that. Well I have never tried, I could possibly do that. I could call on my past lives, but once again I hadn't done that before. I could just try to hold all the elements at one time, but I had also never done that.

"Um... uh... I guess I could try to hold all the elements at one time. But I have never tried that," I told her. She nodded.

"Then do it," she said. I stood there for a moment. I started to bend air around me to make a giant ball. Then I started to make those small water bubbles, they made rings around me, sorta like the rings on Saturn. Then I tried to make some rocks fly all over the place as I made the air now dance around the open area. The rock were floating around the air currents. Lastly I made some fire make thin little lines that twisted and turned around the place. I started to smiled, this was becoming easier and easier to do.

Elizabeth seemed to be laughing. I made the air swirl around her and make her black hair go up in a swirl. She laughed some more and started to run around feeling the air run through her hair.

I finally stopped and watched as the water feel to the ground and the rocks. The fire faded into smoke and the air stopped blowing through the trees and Elizabeth's hair. She looked over at me, her smile was now gone.

"I am sorry, but I can't go on any longer. It takes a lot of energy...," I didn't look her in the eye.

"It's okay. I believe you, no one else can do that," she said. I perked up and smiled.

"Thanks,"


	39. Chapter 39

Candle's POV.

Elizabeth had come back with me that night to see Mara and Mara soon became fond of her. Though Mara will never admit it, they became great friends. Whenever Elizabeth is spoken of around Mara she will forced a disgusted face, but everyone knows that it is fake. Even Elizabeth.

Many days had gone on and Elizabeth had started to show up more at school. She had sparred with people, and had given some a few burns, which Mara healed quickly after the battle was done. Never once while I was watching had I seen her used lighting in any of her battles. But it did strike an interest to me why her fire was blue. I asked Akoi and he joked it was because of her sorrow. I through I rock at him for that. Sapphire says it might be because she can control lighting.

Though that night when I did meet up with Elizabeth, she had pleaded for my help. She had told me that the same people who were chasing me were also to her. It was the same for every bender on this island. She had told me that Japan was a great place for benders to learn about their past since it was the birthplace of bending.

She had told me that her parents were killed and her sister was all she had left. And shortly after that plead her sister showed up. Her sister looked nothing like Elizabeth. Her sister had tanner skin and amber eyes. Her hair was still black and they had the same scowl, but you could look at the two of them and say that they were sisters. Her sister's name was Mary, and she also was a firebender. Though she could only bend fire.

Elizabeth had offered me the chance to learn lighting on top of our training with Akoi. She said that Sapphire could learn too. We both gladly accepted. And that was the day we had been let back into the city. Tina had told us about the city that her people had come from. It hung underneath a cliff. Each building was upside down and it was known in the time when Aang was around as the western temple.

"Tina?" I asked, I was walking into the kitchen. She was almost always in there.

"Is it time?" she asked. I nodded and she handed me a phone. I was planning to call my dad. He still didn't know I was alive. I don't think mom has called him, she seems to be in a rough relationship with him.

"Thanks,"

I dialed the numbers that I had remembered a long time ago. Though it took me sometime to remember the last few numbers. The phone rang, it rang for a pretty long time. At first I was worried that he wouldn't pick up been then I realized that it was 10:00 here so he might be awake.

"Hello?" the voice sounded soft and slow.

"Dad?" I asked.

"Candle!?" his voice perked up and he sounded like he tripped over something,

"Yeah..," I said.

"What! I thought you were dead. Is you mother okay, where have you guys been. I got a letter saying you had crashed somewhere in the Amazon and it said you had almost no chance of surviving," he said really fast. I heard that there was another voice in the background.

It sounded like Grampa. He was asking who was on the phone. My dad answered back with my name and then I heard a crashed and what sounded like my Grammy yelling. I heard a

beep.

"Candle you're on speakerphone," Dad said.

"Ok, listen I don't have much time. It's mid July and the solstice is coming up soon. We have about two weeks. I need you to gather up everyone you know who is a bender. And also, there is a family who lives in Yellowstone national park. Ask for Creg. Also, can you call mom. And before you say your name tell her that Candle sent you. She might not talk to you any other way," I told her. My voice hurt to talk about mom that way to dad.

"Okay," was all I heard before I took the phone off my ear and hit end. I was sure that Dad said something else, but I couldn't bear to hear it.

"Tina do you have a fast way to deliver mail?" I asked her. She only smiled. She brought out a large bowl. It had coals in the bottom.

"This is called Fire Flight. It can send anything to anywhere as fast as you want," she said. She lit the coals and then started to chant something. The fire turn green then purple then orange and finally stopped at pink.

"Say where you want it to go," she said.

I took out two letter. One for Amber and one for Jack," To the Amazon Jungle. The water tribe. Amber and Jack."

I through the letter in. The fire seemed to eat them. I waited for probably 3 minutes till the fire started to look like it was going to cough up something. Then out of the fire came a small slip of paper. On it read a single word:

Okay

I smiled. One more place to send a letter. I pulled out a letter that said Aldo, Henry, and Maria. I through it into the fire," Northwestern Italy. To Henry, Aldo, and Maria. Who are Earthbenders."

I once again waited a for minutes and got back a larger slip of paper. It read:

We're on our way.

I once again smiled. I would talk to my friends and Mrs. Torri tomorrow. She would surely help. After all everyone is in the same boat right?


	40. Chapter 40

I would like to thank everyone who sent in people for this book. I seriously could not come up with the people that you sent in. I hope the people who sent in forms are still reading today and

I love them to death.

TheKagamineTwins - sent in Skya

Rubyheartz - sent in Amber

awesomnessofreader - sent in Akoi

lolangelz - sent in Elizabeth

wolfster8 - Sent in Billy

My friends at school who I asked if i could use them in my book. Maxine, Ethan, and Averi.

Also for the people who I asked to role play the main characters and their personalities.

My friend Gabe role played Gabe.

My best friend Julia who played Mara

My friend Maddie who played Sapphire

My friend Luke who played Alex

My friend Zach who played Zach

I hope you all know that I love you more than I can express through words. Thanks for believing in me the whole way, except for my brother. Thanks for believing that I would never make it. You air can be really rude, but I love you anyway.

These are people who are from Wattpad, who I recommend you check out. They were so helpful in helping me create these characters, I hope that you loved the characters who they sent in just as much as I did


	41. Chapter 41

Candle's POV.

I woke up happy. Today was the day before the solstice, but I found myself smiling. I sat up, the room was empty of people except me. Sapphire and Mara must already be down at breakfast. I got up and walked down the hallway, while putting on a jacket. The hallway was cold, Tina must have forgotten to turn on the heat. I walked down to the dining room to find it empty. I went to the kitchen to also find it empty. There was only one other place in the inn where they all could be.

I walked to the back of the inn. A place normal visitors were not allowed to go. There was a set of stairs going up. I took them. They were old and the wood looked as if it had been there before humans lived on the earth. I ended up in a room. It was alight with fire, it was the room that Akoi had used to teach us Fire bending. And soon to be the room the Elizabeth would teach us lighting.

Though there was no one in the room. Surely they couldn't have left. They would have left a note. I tried to contact them through my head, but that seemed to have no effect. No one was answering, everyone's head seemed to be blocked. I started to freak out a little on the inside. What should I do, I can't reach my friends and I don't know where they are.

I turned around to see that there wasn't a door anymore. It had completely gone, almost like the wall had swallowed it. I turned back. The fire pots that sat in each corner started to burn brighter, they started to spit out flames and sparks. My mind started to go off in different directions. I wanted to run back to the door, but the other half told me it wasn't there so I ended up just falling down. I cursed at myself for being so cliche.

The fire got brighter and brighter. I could feel the heat from here. The fire turned a black color and out step something that was glowing. I had to cover my eyes for fear that they would melt. The light was killing me. I could feel the burns forming already.

"It's alright. You can open your eyes now," a voice said. I looked up there was a devil standing there. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that was held by that looked like a bone band. She had a dark red top that only covered her chest and and a skirt that only went less than half way down the top half of her leg. She had green skin, but her arms burned with glowed embers as did her ankles. Her tail was covered in these burning embers. I looked at her face. Her eyes glowed, but she had a wide smile on her face. And her horns burned with low fire.

"W-who are you?" I asked.

"I am Enya. I come from the spirit world. I thought you would know," she sat down in front of me. I was still shocked.

"Oh... um. Why are you here. Do you know where my friends are?" I asked.

"I am here to help you of course. And your friends? You don't need to think about them right now. What you need to do is convince me that fighting for you will be the right thing," she told me. I finally got into a sitting position versus the half lying down position I was in.

"What do you mean I need to convince you?"

"You need to be able to convince me that fighting on your behalf and laying down my life for you is the right thing to do," she said. I stared at her for a moment then looked at the floor. My face hardened.

"I don't want anyone to lay down their life for me," I said, it was barely a whisper.

"I see, then I should get going," she started to get up.

"Wait," I pulled on her arm. Then let go, it burned.

"What?" she said, it was harsher now.

"I know a few people who are willing to lay down their life for me. But I know their reasons. Why do you just suddenly show up to offer to lay down your life for a person you never met?" I asked.

"Candle? Right? Do you know why you are name Candle?" she looked down at me. The embers and fire on her lowered and the room got darker.

"No,"

"You were named Candle after the devils who lived in the spirit world. Your mother and father had no input. You were chosen to be Avatar way before you were born. It was destiny. I should know, I was there," she explained. I gave her a blank face.

"Why?" I asked. I probably sounded like a 5 year old who was asking why the sky was blue.

"I don't know. That is something you have to figure out about yourself. Something in you caused destiny to pick you," she patted my my head. I could feel tears going down my face,

"Call me when it's time," she said. I wanted to yell back. To tell her that I still need anyone to lay down their life for me. But she was gone. The fire had gone out and I was left in a dark room with no way out.

She was right. I would have to find out why. Maybe that was the key. That was the key to winning I had to find out who I truly was and why I am ready to lay down my life for the sake of everyone else in the world.

''''''''''''''''''

I woke up gasping. I felt like I could breath. That lead my mind to one thing. I tore open Mara's bag, which was next to mine. I looked for the one thing that would make me breath again. I pulled out a rescue inhaler and a spacer. Inside I thanked Mara. We had had a discussion where I had told her I wouldn't need it.

I heard running and then my door flew open. I looked up from the ground. Mara was saying something. It sounded like are you okay?

"What...," I asked.

"Don't give me that. I told you you would need that!" She yelled. Behind her I could everyone else. They looked slightly scared about what had happened.

"I'm ok now though," I told her. It took awhile before she even accepted that thought.

I had later learned that everyone who I had sent out word to had come. I was glad. We were planning to go out to the harbor to meet the Amazons. Amber and Jack, like everyone else had sent an immediate reply. Dad had come in two days ago and was staying in one of the rooms. The same for mom. She and everyone's else mom and dad had come in. Maxine had arrived yesterday. Aldo, Henry, and Maria came almost two days after I sent them the message. The tribe from the south pole had sent Marlark, cole, and a few other warriors to come. They said that was all they could spare for there was still small attacks from Him.

I had contacted spirits and had asked them if they could aid us. many asked what they would be doing, the only thing I could say, though, was that I didn't know. I didn't have a battle plan. That was something I was going to have to work on.

"Candle," I turned around," we are leaving to the harbor," Mara called down the hallway. I quickly threw on some clothes and shoes. I ran out of the inn.

The harbor was small. It was hidden by some mountain. I could already see Aldo making docks out of rock. Two of the boats were already docked. I could see Amber at the top of one and Jack at the other. I felt like a kid seeing a friend for the first time in years, because I ran over to greet them. I surprised Amber by jumping up and tackling her with a bear hug. She screamed and feel.

"Candle!" she sounded mad," it's nice to see you too."

"Oh come on. I know all the elements now. Be proud of me," I laughed. I saw Jack swing over on a vine rope.

"Hey Candle. Nice to see you again," he laughed. I glared at him.

"So today is the day?" Amber asked. Her voice was dead serious. It made both of us stop.

"Yeah. Today we fight the battle," I almost whispered.

"You shouldn't be nervous. You have fought in plenty of battles. THis one is just 20 times larger and has the biggest baddest bad guy ever," Jack joked.

"Shut up I am not nervous," I lied. Inside my stomach was doing somersaults. We walked off the boat and help everyone else. Tine was telling me that this was the first time that she had a full inn. Her face lit up when she found she only had two rooms left, which were being used on and off by Elizabeth and Skya.

Elizabeth had been staying some nights to teach us lighting. Which I found was extremely hard. At first she had had us try to redirect lighting. She said that if anything we need to know this for it would be our downfall if we were to be hit by lighting.

Redirecting it turned out to be the easy thing. She used a form that related to water bending, send the flow in and out. Sapphire had asked me if this was what it was like to water bend. I half heartedly agreed. Though when Elizabeth had tried to teach me lighting I had failed. I couldn't get much out, make a few small bolts, but nothing enough to do any damage in a battle. Sapphire, though, excelled at it and was making lighting almost as powerful as Elizabeth's lighting.

By the time all the Amazons were off the boat it was nearing 9 in the morning. Some of them had complained about how it was so early. Then some of the others argued back how they were a day ahead of us.

by 9:30 we were ready. Food was being given to people and rooms were being inhabited.

It was not till 11 when things started to get rough. The weather was starting to pick up. Wind was making trees fall and rain was breaking open windows. Basically things storm was disabling everyone in the country. Gabe and I had headed out before the storm had really started to hit to see how Tokyo was doing.

From what we could see, up in a tree looking at it from miles away, it was suffering. Lighting were going out. Thank god it was still day or this would have been at least 10 times worse. I could hear sirens and i could see fire.

"We need to end this today," I told Gabe and looked at him. He nodded back. His hair was glowed to his face from the rain and his windbreaker was not helping. I had been given a windbreaker, but mine had been blown off about 2 minutes into our journey. My clothes were soaked through and my hair had some dirt in it. I had attempted to put it up and or braid it while out here but failed.

"We need to get to the city and help get people out. We also need to send a message to the others to tell them to get ready," Gabe said. I agreed. I tried to reach Mara in my mind. She was far, really far. So anything I sent to her would be very faint.

'Mara, get ready,' was all I could send before I felt a cut off. Mara might have gotten that, but I wasn't sure. I would be too far for her to send back a message.

"Ok," I said. I jumped off the cliff that were standing on. The same cliff that I had met Akoi on. I was halfway down when I saw Gabe above me. He was coming down fast, but I was too. We were nearing the ground and at the last minute I flipped myself and sent out a wave of air. Big enough to capture Gabe and me. we landed softly on the ground.

"That was terrifying," he mumbled.

"Yeah," I said back. I hadn't expected that to work.

We ran for what seemed like forever. i couldn't airbend to run faster because Gabe was here. We got closer to Tokyo and the rain was now starting to lighten. I was thankful, but I knew that the rain lightening was only the beginning. He would do things that would kill people, he would do things that would get people hurt. And I was not letting anyone who was not to be hurt get hurt.

We ran into the city. People were running around trying to get things. Some people ran out of the city towards the mountains. I couldn't understand a lot of things they were saying. I had to do something.

"Gabe, we need to get these people and tell them to leave," he nodded. I didn't know we were going to do it. There were millions of people in this city. I was just seeing maybe almost a thousand people run around.

Gabe and I ran to a building. It was tall and it had a huge screen on it. That screen was damaged, but still working. On it was a picture of Coke. Inside we could probably find something that controlled that screen. Inside there were people sitting at desk answering phones. The lobby was huge. You could see up to the shop floor and the whole place was circular. I could see that the rain had not broken the windows. The people in here were a lot calmer.

"Excuse," I asked a man sitting at a desk. He gave me a weird look.

"English?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," I nodded my head up and down and gave him a thumbs up. trying to tell him that I speak English. He pointed over to a girl. She looked familiar.

"Excuse me?" I asked the girl. She turned around and gasped.

"Candle?" she asked.

"Yeah, do I know you?" I gave her the weirdest look. Gabe also did so.

"We sparred together one afternoon and Mrs. Tori's class. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't remember me. You spare a lot of people," she looked at the ground.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Quin," she said. I nodded.

"Look Quin. I need to get to the room that controls that screen outside. And we need you to speak a message for us," Gabe said. She nodded looking determined. She took both of our hands and ran to a door. The door wasn't marked but when she opened it it had one long stair case. Running up it would take too long.

"Here, stand right here," I told the two.

"What are you doing?" Gabe asked.

"Shut up and listen. When you get to the top tell everyone to get out. Then we you have finished I want you to use the computer to get a message up to the Monarch. Don't do anything till I reach the top," I told them.

"Candle? What are you doing?" Gabe asked. Quinn looked frozen.

"Getting you up faster," I said. I step a few feet away from them," don't move," I started. My eyes flashed blue and I spun around creating a funnel of air. I moved it around the staircase, then when I saw that it had reached the top I stopped and yelled for Quinn and Gabe to get in. They both hesitated for a moment but then went in.

The second they entered they both shot up, screaming as they took the 3 second trip to the top. When they had made it I stopped the flow of air. I took a deep breath and took my way up. Jumping from flighting to flight. Only touching the staircases for a few seconds. I could feel vibrations of people throughout the whole building. People were moving frantically. They were probably trying to figure out what is going on.

Once I had reached the top I could see Quin talking into a speaker and a camera facing her. She was speaking in Japanese, quickly telling the people of this part of the city to get out. The video shut off.

"Quickly get a video up to the Monarch," I told Gabe. He nodded and started to type fast. He was typing faster than I had ever seen anyone. I saw the screen above Gabe lighting up with a loading screen and then a video was brought up. I looked into the screen. There sitting was the monarch, he looked pale.

"Explain," he said quickly.

"You're under attack. He is coming and he is here to take out lots of people. I need you to get as much people out of the city. I also need all the people I can get to fight. I need to meet them by the base of the mountain closest to Tokyo," I told him.

"Why should i believe you?" I asked.

"Because if you don't then you will die slowly at the hands of the worst person you have ever imagined. He can look at you and kill you, he can make an entire country sink into the ocean and he is the person i have to kill today," I looked at him on the screen. I look into him. He was thinking, he was weighing the options.

"Meet me with all the available men that you can get at that mountain,'" I said and then the video was cut.

"Come on," I told Quinn and Gabe. I didn't bother to take the stairs I just jumped into the middle. Quin screamed and I heard Gabe follow. We both fell and I bent some air again and caught myself.

We both ran out into the city. Once again rain was falling. It was darker now. Many fire had started and this part of the city looked in ruins. The people were taking our advice though. What ever Quinn had said got these people to leave.

"Gabe I need you to stay here to help the people get out. I will be back with people," I told him. I turned to run but he grabbed my arm.

"Candle. Whatever you do. Don't die," he told me. I looked him in the eye.

"I won't you can count on that. I expect the same for you. If you die I will kill you," I told him. He laughed a little and then let go of me. He ran into the nearest building.

I turned and ran. I was running faster than I could imagine. It felt really really good. I ran to the mountain. I ran up the trail and through the woods. I finally ended up at the inn. There waiting for me were people dressed in armor. The Amazons looked ready to kill.

"Candle. Thank god. I got your message and I got everyone ready. Where have you been?!" yelled Mara. I winced and braced myself for a slap. But I was given a hug. It shocked me and I just sorta hung there.

"I-i... uh. Oh I um got the attention of the Monarch," I told her. i could hear a few gasp behind me. I expected it was from the other students.

"Great. What did he say?" Zach asked

"I didn't give him enough time to answer. I sorta just got Gabe to hack into a computer and bring up a video chat with the Monarch. Then I briefly told him what was going on and then told him to send soldiers to the base of this mountain," I said. I heard more gasped and felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Candle. You should be careful next time," I heard Skya say," the Emperor could have your head."

"I know, but that is the only way to get the Monarch's attention," I tried to soften it enough to Skya. She nodded and walked back to the group of benders.

"Now come on everyone. We have a group of soldiers to empress," I yelled! Everyone yelled back and we started to run through the forest.

I could see the light of the city coming up. The cliff that I had now found a joy out of jumping off, was even closer. I jumped off the cliff followed by Zach. The other went with the earthbenders that started to make tunnels for people run down.

However Zach and I were sliding down this slanted cliff. I could see at the bottom hundreds of men dressed in armor. I could also see from here there faces. Which were dumbfounded. I stopped at the bottom with Zach only a foot behind me. Then the wall behind me exploded with rock. There on both sides were benders, non benders, and Amazons ready for battle.

"All right boys! Who's ready to fight a war!" I yelled and threw my fist up into the air. I got war cries back. This helped lift up my spirit since I felt like passing out from all the nervousness that was in my stomach.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Things had started to get crazy. First off all we had set up camp after digging out beneath the cliff. The earthbenders had made it safe and it wouldn't clasp. Benders and non benders all talked, probably to get the idea that they were about to ride to their death. Second of all the rain had stopped. That meant that the attack was even closer.

"Sir," I turned around to see a soldier from the Monarch.

"Yeah?" I said.

"I come to tell you that if we are to launch this attack there are a few things you should know that the soldiers have," he said. This man who was talking to me was about a foot taller than me. He was Asian and had short hair that was no where near grayling.

"Ok. What secrets do you have?" I asked.

"There are fighter ships below the city. They are for the pilots in this group. About a thousand of these men rive them," he said.

"Thousand?" I asked. Then I looked around. There were more soldiers than before. There were outside and inside," oh."

"We need to get to those ships," he said.

"Great I still have a friend who is in the city. Tell your pilots o ge ready to run," I smiled at the man. He smiled back.

"Maxine!" I yelled. I had no idea where she was. I didn't know where Alex or Sapphire were either.

"Yeah," I heard her voice. I looked around me and saw nothing," Candle!" I looked behind me. She was standing there. I was surprised, she was dressed in full armor. It was all made of metal. Not like a knight, but more like someone with a thin, moveable thing of metal on them. If that made any sense.'

"You need to come with me. We are going to the city," I said.

"Sweet," she said.

We walked outside and met the thousand pilots ready to get to their ships.

"Come on," I told the dude who came up to me earlier. He yelled something in Japanese. All his men came to attention. He yelled some more in Japanese and then we started to run.

I bolted using airbending to get there faster. I was surprised that when I looked back the men was about 100 meter behind me. Pretty close. Maxine, though, had managed to keep up. She was bending metal ropes into the ground, which kept her flying through the air.

We made it to the city only 10 minutes later. I could see that there was still lots of people still there making their way out of the city. It was now the traffic that really got everyone. I walked to the outside of the city, where Gabe was standing. He had been waving his sword up to catch my attention.

"I said I would be back," I smiled. He laughed.

"Yeah and you're not dead," he said.

"Added bonus," I smirked," these men claim that there are ships under the city ready for flight. I brought Maxine, just in case. I doubt that the ships are made of any less than metal."

Gabe nodded. The man came over to me. He was breathing hard, but was trying very hard to hid it.

"The ships are under the city. My men are going to go get into them," he said.

"Yes sir. Take my friend Maxine, she will help with any ship problems if they are to come up," I explained. The man nodded and walked off with Maxine.

Gabe and I chatted for a while as he filled me in on what had been happening in the city since I had left. He had gotten Quin's help and managed to send a message to the whole city about the attack and had managed to get a message to nearby cities and tell them about what was going on.

In return I told him about what had happened back at the base. I told him about all the soldiers meeting us. About how when I had gotten back everyone was waiting for me and ready to fight. I had left Mara back in charge of the soldiers. My father and mother still hadn't talked much to each other. Though my dad did pry out the details about what had happened to her while she was in captivity.

"Candle," I heard Gabe say. There was something in the distance. The sun was still up, it was about 2:30 and we could see this thing. It was huge. From here it looked like a giant circle.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I don't know, but it is moving fast," he said. I got a vibration on my leg and I reached down. There was a radio hanging there. I picked it and pressed the button.

"yeah..." I said into it.

"What is that?" I heard a voice.

"I don't know," I told the radio. I wasn't even sure what was happening right now.

"Tell Mara to get here now," Gabe said taking out his sword. I nodded and spoke a few words in my mind.

I pulled out my sword and ran. I didn't know where I was running, but Gabe didn't follow. In fact after he told me to get a hold of Mara he had run off somewhere. He probably told me, but I was not paying attention.

I ran into a part of the city that didn't have many people. The part was run down and the building were falling apart. I ran through a puddle and that was whst snapped me awake. It made me stop for a moment, I realized where I was. I realized what was going on. I also realized what I was going to have to do.

I ran into a low building and ran to the top. The roof was flat, and the interior resembled an office building for a very small company. The roof had nothing on it, apart from me. I could see the ship coming for us. It had gotten bigger.

I closed my eyes, breathing in and out. Then I felt myself falling. I opened my eyes to be in darkness. This darkness was familiar. I saw purple eyes right in front of me.

"Messi," I cried out in happiness.

"Hey Candle. How's it been going girl, " he reached out a purple tentacle thing. I shook it.

"Messi. I need your help. He's on his way. The battle is minutes from happening," I told him. Messi full face appeared. He look concerned.

"I see. I will be there," then he faded. The next I knew I was under a light.

There standing in front of me was an old friend. The two faced spirit.

"Candle, the time comes for me to full fill my promise," the spirit said.

"Yeah. I know. Alex is with the rest of the soldiers. Give him a good greeting," I gave the spirit a thumbs up and he faded away.

I stood up and started to walk. I blinked and I was in nature. There was lots of trees and growth around here. I could see woodland creatures all looking at me. And then I saw a friendly face.

"Hello Candle," she said.

"Hello again. I need your help," I told her getting straight to the point.

"I understand. My friends have been telling me about the trimmers near the portals. He is here," Ameria said.

"Yeah. He is, and he is attacking Tokyo Japan," I told her. Her face saddened.

"That is a place of high spirit energy. He is taking a great risk," she said. Before I could even ask her why it was such a big risk I felt like I got hit in the face with a warm wet cloth.

"What...," I trailed off. The surroundings were basically a whole pit of hell. Lava was going past me in small streams, there was meteors falling around, and in front of me stood the she-devil I had met only this morning.

"The time has come solider. The time has come to win back the world," she said and took my hand. I felt energy course through me and my tattoos started to glow," go back and fight."

I did so. I could feel my spirit flying back to find my body. And it was where I had left it. Though now the fighting had gotten worse. The black ship was above the city and shooting down lasers. Golden ships flew out of the ground and started for the black ship. They started to created a sort of barrier around the ship. Connecting together and blanketing themselves around the ship.

This held back a certain amount of lasers, but every once and a while a ship would blow up. People were dying up there and I was not letting that happen.

I ship shot towards the sky right next to me and I jumped on it.

"Sir, I don't know if you're aware, but you're flying on my ship" I voice came out of a speaker right next to me.

"I am. I need to get to that latcher at the top of the ship. Do you think you can get me up there?" I asked him.

"Absolutely," he reply and blasted the engines. We were flying as fast as this small ship could take us. We neared the ship and flew over the golden ships blanketing across the black ship.

The latch I spoke of was about to be covered up by golden ships. The pilot got as close as he could to it and I jumped off. I gave him a thumbs up for thanks and hoped he survived.

I jumped in and close the latch as a ship covered the whole. The inside of the ship was just as dark as the black outside. I felt my mind immediately get blocked and I couldn't hear myself think because of the blood coursing in my ears. In my left hand I created fire to give me some light and in my right I pulled out my sword.

I slowly walked down the ship. Every once and a while I would have to hide myself from passing guards. They would talk about the attack, but one group was heading for him. They had spoken of the leader of this ship and that he need them. I smiled and followed them.

They lead me down a long hallway that lead to one door. They opened it and walked through. When they had gone in the door started to close. I ran and barely made it. Making sure to keep quite, I slipped behind a metal box sitting next to the door.

The room wasn't that big. There was a long table that had a few chairs and a wide window. There was a figure dressed in a black robe. The men came up to him and whispered a few things. The robe moved as if the figure had nodded. The men left the room without another word.

I sat behind the metal box waiting for a time to move. I knew that I still couldn't metal bend, but hey I could still learn. I couldn't feel anyone near us. It was like everyone with a 20 foot radius had gone away. I was about to move when a I heard a voice.

"I know you're there," the voice was raspy," you don't need to hide. I feel like we can put our differences behind us for the sake of the city, right? Monster," he turned around and I could see a pale face that I couldn't describe.

"Who are you?" The first thing that came to mind and I mentally slapped myself.

"Who am I? I should be asking the same to you, Monster. I have heard that you have broken out of one of my best testing chambers. You have avoided every chance of me getting to you," he bitterly said.

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, my voice had a playing tone.

"Well I would say that it wouldn't have been so bad for you, but you have put my attack so far back. I almost had you two years ago," he said. I could hear his shoes hitting the floor as he slowly searched for me.

I tried to contact Mara or Zach, maybe Gabe. I wanted to get someone who could easily know what to do if I told them what was going on. My mind was still blocked, was it the ship?

"Little monster. Come out," his voice sounded like it was on the other side of the room.

"I am no monster," I called out to him.

"Oh, but you are. What type of human is born with the power to control elements? You are no human you are a monster that a child would hide under his blankets from. Your the monster that myths are made from," he said.

He was trying to get into my head. Trying to see if he can convince me that I am not a human. I am not the same of the people I am trying to save and keep alive. I wanted to block him out. Was he right? Was I a monster. I could be the monster among even my own kind. I mean I can control all of the elements people worship that type of figure, but out of fear? Am I a monster.

"Stop!" I whispered to myself, but he answered.

"Stop what. Monster I am only trying to help you," he made his voice sweet and caring. It made me want to rip off my skin.

"You know this is wrong. Everyone was a kid once," I whispered and stepped out from behind the metal box.

I looked at him. I could him sneering at me, like I had hit a nerve. His teeth told how long he had been down in the earth. They were rotting and were the color of earth. It disgusted me.

"You need some tooth paste. My make a little more appealing to some of your followers," I pointed at him. It cause him to sneer more and some spit came out.

Before I could react he had me pinned up on the wall. My collar of my shirt was in his hand. The ringing of the metal as the metal parts of my clothes hit the metal wall behind me was almost too much. I wanted to cover my ears and hide in a corner.

"Little monster. You are here for one reason aren't you?" He sneered. His breath made want to pass out," you are here to save these people who are dying for you. And you are ready to die for them. I am wrong?"

His sentence was finished with an alarm. This cause him to let me go and put his hands over his ears as he slowly made his way to the window. He looked in pain...

Outside was even more so. Some of the golden ships had blown up right in front of the window. The city was burning, fire was going all over the place. More ships exploded and I could see ground fighters fighting each others. Some benders, non benders, and Amazons fought as if their life depended on it. Which it did.

The sun was now over us directly. I remembered something Akoi had told me a few weeks ago.

'If you want to win you need to use the sun. There will be a sun that will enhance every fire benders bending,'

I had to use my fire bending to get this guy outside of the ship before I can take he evenly. The ship started to move, I could see that it was moving towards the mountains. He was going to hide in the mountains as his ground fighter wrecked havoc!

I could take him in the mountains and it would be safer for everyone else in the city! I sat on the floor looking like I was still trying to catch my breath. Which I was, but not as I was when he hit into the wall.

We made it over the mountains about 2 minutes later. I stood up slowly trying not draw to much attention. Then I lit myself on fire and moved all that fire to my hands. Basically I had two huge fireballs in my hands. I ran for him and hit him head on. We both went flying outside, breaking the window.

I felt my head open up and I could speak to people again. Quickly I sent a message to Sapphire telling her about the sun. I didn't get a reply back, but I knew that she got it. We landed on the ground, him with a giant impact and me slowly with airbending.

He got back out with his robe hood fallen off. His head was pale blue and he had bright purple eyes. There was a thin plate of metal on top of his head. The sight of him made me cringe.

"You damn-,"

"Sir, please watch your french," I told him. It through him off and I found I good place to attack. He was wide open, so I ran towards him. My hand balled into a fist which connected to his stomach. He moved back a few feet and looked at me like I was crazy. I just smiled at him.

"Do you honestly-," then he cough up a little blood. That shut him up, he looked down at the ground in surprise. I took this opportunity too. Kicking my leg through the air in front of me, a wave of air went after him. Shoving him in the trees, breaking a few on the way.

"You!" He yelled and came after me. He lift his hand and a staff materialized out of thin air. It was a black color and it radiated purple. I ran back a few feet and he slammed the staff down into the earth. A wave of force blew me back into a huge tree, I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I could barely hear him laughing the back ground, nut I could feel him walking towards me.

I balled my self up in a ball of earth. It seemed like the only thing I could do. He came closer, until he was less than a foot in front of me. I could still barely hear him laughing, my head spun as I tried to keep the ball of earth in a ball. Huge waves of force started to rain down on me, trying to make to ball of earth fall apart. I used all of my energy to keep it contained. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my upper lip and on my forehead. Soon my entire body was covered in sweat. I can tell you that being in a ball of earth isn't fun. You have bugs crawling on you full time, while a crazed maniac tries to get you to come out with waves of force. It's almost like you woke up in hell and you're trying to keep the heat and the hell away from you.

"Come little girl. You can't hide forever," he laughed. I wanted to say, and you can't send waves of force after me forever. But then actually he could, because I am sure he has had lots of practice at this.

I felt like I was about to break down. Not cry, but I felt as if my body was literally going to be crushed by the amount of force that is being pushed down on me.

Then something happened. For one he stopped putting waves force down on me, but that was because I had threw him to the other side of the clearing. My tattoos glowed and for the first time I had control, I could feel everything I was doing, and I knew every single move that I did. I made a rope of fire and grabbed him by the ankle. Another thing, he wasn't wearing shoes and he could use some time at a salon.

I launched him up into the air, he flew up and I followed him. I launched myself up with the help of the air below me. I kept throwing him around in the air as I followed. He wasn't able to do much, every once and a while he would try to get a wave of forced to hit me, but I would dodge it or he would miss by a mile.

I slammed him into a mountain. He had fear in his eyes. After a long time of him getting beaten by me and him not being able to do anything he should. I looked him in the eyes, my power surged inside of me. It was more than I ever knew I had. I used the rock in the mountain and practically chained him to the wall. He couldn't move and I couldn't contain my energy. So I let go of it.

I still floated, but I exited the Avatar state. I looked at him, he was helpless. After all the things he has done in the past, he could do nothing now.

"You're weak," he sputtered out.

"I wouldn't be telling lies right now. It wouldn't be the best last words to out on the earth," I told him bitterly.

"You can't even kill me. You know in your little mind that the only way to get rid of me is to kill me," he laughed.

He was right. I didn't want to kill anyone, but I have already. I have murdered people and I can do it again. I pulled out my sword, it shined in the sunlight. The sun was going down now. My small sword has never killed anyone by blood shed. But today would have to change.

He was still laughing, and I plunged the sword into his chest.


	42. Chapter 42

People will say that he died because he had used up his magic and burned up. Other might say that he had died because the fight was too big and long for him. That his age had just gotten to him, for he was about 202 years old.

But to the people who had gathered around me when I had plunged my sword in his chest, they know that he had shriveled up into dust and was eaten by the mountain. As if the earth was finally ready to except this evil monster.

He had spoken a last few words to me before his entire body was taken by the mountain. His followers were tried on trial and most were thrown into jail well above the earth to live out their lives. Some who had been personal generals for him were executed. Many of our people who had died along the way had their bodies recovered and put in their own graves.

We attended every service for each of the dead. I even attended the executions for each of them, and attended their services. It was terrible in my opinion. Seeing all the people who were killed because I was born. Why did it come to this?

After the war we had stayed behind to help repair some of Tokyo and I was thanked be the Monarch for protecting Japan. Though most of us would have to admit that I didn't pay attention to. Mara had done most of the talking during all of these meetings. People around the world learned about benders and I was interviewed countless of times, along everyone else.

I had been given a ranking in the military as the general of all benders in the military. Benders that had been hiding in the military came out and joined my ranks. We all were put in the military. Lost of the Amazons joined and tried to live in this part of civilization. Amber and Jack were the first. The president had thanked us and gave us some metals and all that crap.

None of it made any difference we had survived the war, we had been given thanks, and we had gone back to our not so normal lives.

What I can tell you is that now Woodstock had been turned into a benders safe haven. Most went to school to learn how to control their bending. Mrs. Torri had come over from Japan and had started the school. Mara, Gabe, Alex, Sapphire, Zach, and I had been out in special school to where we learned how to be a commander of an army and how to do other things.

But we also still did the years we had missed and continued on with high school.

"Hey Candle," Gabe came up to me. I was standing in the middle of a mall. Although people had been told about benders, not many knew what were looked like. I mean sure we had interviews on TV and all, but a lot of people in Woodstock don't watch TV anymore.

I was standing in the middle of the mall right next to a great water fountain," hey Gabe. Ready to finally get some new clothes?" I asked him smiling.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he groaned.

"Great," I smiled,

"But after this we are going over to my place to meet up with the others. We have a study session for our finals this year. After that we'll be going to the capital to start living with the rest of the military," Gabe said.

"Yeah I know. 5 years ago we were running around the world trying to run away from this evil dude. Now we're trying to get along with civil life," I joked.

"Yep,"he replied.

We met with everyone at Gabe's house. The study session started quickly after we got to his house. We now were able to drive without breaking the law and driving.

It was quite during the whole session. I had made some snacks for us. No one really talked.

Which gives me time to tell you the rest. He had died giving me some last words. I was surprised by them, but he gave me the ending of this story. Which I can say I had no idea how to end.

'Live on Monster'


End file.
